Postal Motto Echoes Herodotus's Couriers

The United States Postal Service's unofficial motto, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," is based on a description written more than 2,500 years ago. Ancient Greek historian Herodotus used similar words in The Histories to praise the mounted couriers of the Persian Empire. The modern wording became associated with American mail after it was inscribed on New York City's James A. Farley Post Office Building, which opened in 1914, although it has never been the Postal Service's official motto.

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