Battle of Pelusium (373 BC)

The Battle of Pelusium (373 BC) Or The battle of Mendes took place after the Persian king Artaxerxes II launched an attack on Egypt with the aim of restoring Egypt to Persian rule. The campaign failed, and ended with the defeat of the Persians and their Greek mercenaries

Battle of Mendes
Date 373 BC Location Mendes & Pelusium Result Egyptian victory
Belligerents
Egypt	Persian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Nectanebo I	Artaxerxes II Pharnabazus Iphicrates
Strength
	220,000 thousand Persian and Greek 500 warships

Background[]

In 525 BC, a Persian force invaded Egypt led by Cambyses II. This force was able to enter Memphis and could not control all of Egypt when Cambyses II sent his forces to occupy Siwa Oasis and was known after that as the Lost Army of Cambyses. Also, Cambyses could not occupy areas of Upper Egypt and Nubia. Egypt was full of turmoil and revolutions until a revolution succeeded in 404 BC led by an Egyptian prince called Amyrtaeus^[1] who was able to gain independence in Egypt and Egypt enjoyed a local rule full of internal problems between the princes and Nectanebo I was the first king of the 30th dynasty after he was able to wrest the rule from the last kings of the 29th dynasty(Nepherites II) The Persians viewed Egypt as just a rebellious part of a Persia, so they tried to reconquer it many times during the reign of the 29th Dynasty. They tried to invade Egypt twice and failed in 385 and 383 BC, the Persian King Artaxerxes was aware of the turmoil in Egypt between the Egyptian princes so He prepared to invade and restore Egypt. Artaxerxes concluded a peace treaty with the Athenians. Under this treaty, Egypt became without allies, and the Athenian general Shabrias was summoned in 379 BC.

Preparing the Persians for the campaign[]

The Achaemenid concluded a peace treaty with the Athenians in order to leave Egypt without allies and The Persians gathered a large fleet of 500 ships that were collected in Phoenicia and Acre, almost all full of Greek mercenaries^[2] and The Persians collected a Huge ground forces consisting of 220,000 soldiers that passed through Gaza^[3]

The battle[]

The Persians’ march began during a five-day journey from Gaza to Pelusium (Port Said). The Persians attacked Port Said, however, the Egyptians succeeded to defend it, and the Persians failed to seize the Egyptian stronghold, so the Persians decided to use the Nile branch and rally around them.The Persians and their Greek mercenaries wanted to march towards Memphis and leave Pelusium after they succeeded in entering the country through the Nile branch, but they differed among themselves, and this hesitation caused a counterattack by Nectanebo I, taking advantage of the Nile floods caused swamps hindered the movement of the Persians and their Greeks mercenaries and they were defeated and withdrew in July 373 BC.^[4][5]

References[]