The famous embassy of Zemarchus to the western ruler of the Turks is quite a well-known story. In this paper an attempt is made to clarify some details of the journey, with special focus on methods and manners of communication. Did Byzantine diplomacy make use of some of its old skills in dealing with the Altaic peoples, or, as many scholars have already supposed, was there a new process based mainly on experiences with Sasanian Iran and other Iranian peoples?