Battle of Pelusium
525 BCE · Nile Delta, Egypt
The Battle of Pelusium was fought in 525 BCE in Nile Delta, Egypt between Achaemenid Persian Empire vs the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt; decisive Persian victory; Egypt became a Persian province.
Battle of Pelusium: quick facts
- Date
- 525 BCE
- Location
- Nile Delta, Egypt
- Belligerents
- Achaemenid Persian Empire vs the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt
- Commanders
- Cambyses II vs Psamtik III
- Result
- decisive Persian victory; Egypt became a Persian province.
- Era
- 🏛️ Ancient Egypt & Mesopotamia
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Pelusium?
The Persian king Cambyses II invaded Egypt and met the forces of Pharaoh Psamtik III at Pelusium, the fortress guarding the eastern Nile Delta. Ancient sources claim the Persians placed cats and other animals sacred to the Egyptians on their shields, causing the defenders to hesitate. The Egyptians were routed, and Memphis fell shortly after. Egypt became a Persian satrapy, ending the 26th Dynasty and beginning centuries of foreign domination.
Did you know?
The Persian use of cats as shields at Pelusium exploited the Egyptian reverence for the cat-goddess Bastet. Harming a cat in ancient Egypt could carry the death penalty.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Pelusium on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.