The Battle of Pelusium
Understanding your adversary's mindset can be extremely useful and change the course of any conflict. But what does that actually mean, and how can it be best utilized? The Battle of Pelusium, in which the Persian king Cambyses II faced the Egyptians, is arguably one of the best examples of this. This significant conflict marked the beginning of Egypt's 27th Dynasty and effectively handed Persia control of Egypt.
Cambyses II, a skilled tactician, was facing the forces of Pharaoh Psametik III. He was also familiar with Egyptian beliefs, particularly their reverence for all living things and their notion of certain animals as earthly embodiments of their gods.
Cats were connected to the Egyptian deity Bastet in their culture. The goddess had a sizable following and was both a nurturer and a combatant. Few Egyptians would risk angering the deities by hurting a cat. As a result, Cambyses scattered them over the battlefield and painted their likenesses on his men's shields.
The Egyptians were afraid of shooting arrows at the Persians because they brought cats into battle. Cambyses released any creatures he believed the Egyptians would be too terrified to harm, including dogs, ibises, sheep, and others. The strategy was successful, and the Egyptians either fled or perished.
