Saed News: In the midst of the great war in history, it was this art and cunning that saved the Iranians from certain defeat.
According to the Historical Service of Saed News, Cambyses II, who is also known as Kambiz in some books, was the son of Cyrus and one of the kings of the Achaemenid dynasty. He ruled over the land of Persia in the 6th century BC. In 525 BC, a war broke out between two great civilizations of the world — Iran and Egypt — known as the Battle of Pelusium.
According to Herodotus, Cambyses declared war on Egypt. The young Pharaoh of Egypt, Psametik III, who had only been in power for six months, made every effort to prepare for the battle. He hoped for the support of his Greek allies, but apparently, they abandoned him. Eventually, the Pharaoh gathered an army and waited for the arrival of the Achaemenid forces near the Nile in the Pelusium region. They were positioned inside the fortress of Pelusium, which was very strong and impregnable, giving the Egyptians confidence. However, they did not know that Cambyses’ army, besides being strong and well-equipped, planned to use a very clever tactic.
Ancient Egypt was very powerful and would not surrender easily. Herodotus noted that a large number of soldiers from both sides were killed, and their bodies covered the battlefield. He apparently inspected the bones left from this battle and even noted the differences between the skulls of Iranians and Egyptians. Many people on both sides died, and neither side gave in.
Therefore, Cambyses used a smart tactic that resulted in a decisive and quick victory over the Egyptian army. He knew that the cat was very sacred and valuable in Egyptian culture, and Egyptians would never harm this animal, even during war. So, he ordered his soldiers to carry live cats and paint images of cats on their shields and banners! The Egyptian army, especially their skilled archers, were unable to attack or shoot for fear of harming the cats. In this way, Cambyses was able to defeat the powerful Egyptian army at the Battle of Pelusium!
It is said that this was the first widespread use of psychological warfare in a battle.
