Battle of the Delta
1175 BCE · Nile Delta, Egypt
The Battle of the Delta was fought in 1175 BCE in Nile Delta, Egypt between New Kingdom of Egypt vs the Sea Peoples; decisive Egyptian victory; the Sea Peoples' fleet was destroyed in the mouths of the Nile.
Battle of the Delta: quick facts
- Date
- 1175 BCE
- Location
- Nile Delta, Egypt
- Belligerents
- New Kingdom of Egypt vs the Sea Peoples
- Commanders
- Ramesses III
- Result
- decisive Egyptian victory; the Sea Peoples' fleet was destroyed in the mouths of the Nile.
- Era
- 🏛️ Ancient Egypt & Mesopotamia
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of the Delta?
Ramesses III prepared a brilliant defense against the Sea Peoples, a mysterious confederation of maritime raiders who had already destroyed the Hittite Empire and ravaged the Levant. He lured their fleet into the mouths of the Nile, where Egyptian archers on the riverbanks and Egyptian warships attacked from all sides. The Sea Peoples' ships were capsized and their warriors slaughtered. This victory saved Egypt from the collapse that engulfed the rest of the Bronze Age eastern Mediterranean.
Did you know?
The identity of the 'Sea Peoples' defeated at the Delta remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of ancient history. Scholars have proposed origins from Sardinia, Sicily, Anatolia, and even mainland Greece.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of the Delta 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.