Illustration
Artist's impression of the Battle of Pelusium (525 BCE), showing the Persian army led by Cambyses II (525-522 BCE) on the left, and the Egyptian army led by Psametik III (526-525 BCE) on the right.
The battle was a decisive Persian victory brought about by the Persian's clever use of cats: As cats were sacred to the Egyptians, the Persian army herded cats (and other animals) in front of their battle line, and painted cats onto their shields. The Egyptians, afraid to hurt sacred cats and incurring the wrath of Bastet, were shaken and decisively defeated. Following the battle, Persia annexed Egypt.
Original illustration by Simon Seitz for World History Encyclopedia.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Seitz, S. (2021, April 28). The Battle of Pelusium. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13914/the-battle-of-pelusium/
Chicago Style
Seitz, Simon. "The Battle of Pelusium." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified April 28, 2021. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13914/the-battle-of-pelusium/.
MLA Style
Seitz, Simon. "The Battle of Pelusium." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 28 Apr 2021. Web. 21 Feb 2025.
