| Esther 3:13
| Were sent by the king's messengers to all provinces, to kill and destroy all the Jews, both young and old, little children, and women, in one day, that is, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month, which is called Adar, and to make a spoil of their goods.
| Messengers. Literally, "runners." (Haydock) --- Posts were first established in Persia, and were the admiration of other nations, though nothing compared with ours, as they were not regular, nor for the people. They called these messengers Astandae, or Angari, Matthew 5:41. Darius Condomanus was one of these postilions, before he came to the crown. (Calmet) --- At first the kings had people stationed on eminences, at a convenient distance, to make themselves heard, when they had to communicate some public news. (Diod. xix. p. 680.) --- Cyrus afterwards appointed horsemen, to succeed each other. (Xenophon, Cyrop. viii.) --- Caesar made some regulations on this head, which were perfected by Augustus and Adrian; but being neglected, Charlemagne strove to restore them: yet it is thought that the posts were not established, in France, till the reign of Louis XI. (Calmet)
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