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The Persians Won a War Against the Egyptians Because They Used Cats as a Shield
Most people know that ancient Egyptians worshipped cats, because they were associated with the goddess, Bastet. The Egyptians had a lot of respect for all life in general, and a large part of the population was vegetarian or pescatarian. If you killed a cat in ancient Egypt, it meant that you would be sentenced to death. During the Battle of Pelusium in 525 BCE, there was a clash between Pharaoh Psametik III and the Persian king Cambyses II. The Persians knew of the Egyptian love for cats, so they used that to their advantage. The Persian king demanded that the image of Bastet should be painted on his soldiers’ shields. According to records, “ranged before his front line dogs, sheep, cats, ibises and whatever other animals the Egyptians hold dear”. The Persians won the battle, and they threw the cats at the soldiers who surrendered, just to mock them.