History

The Battle of Pelusium is an historically important battle that took place in the 6th century BC, in which the Egyptians were decisively defeated by the Persians, and the Persians became the new rulers of the land. The battle is one of the earliest known examples of the use of psychological warfare. Knowing that the Egyptians worshipped cats as a symbol of the goddess Bastet, Cambyses II ordered his warriors to paint images of the cat goddess on their shields, and during the battle itself, the army was said to have followed behind a large group of cats. The Egyptians, who were unwilling to harm the sacred cats, were forced to surrender their city to the Persians. Pelusium was an