How did cats cause the ancient Egyptians to lose their country?

It seemed that they were sure to win against the Persian army, but the Egyptians failed miserably due to the cats. .

Ancient Egyptian culture placed a deep emphasis on the sacredness of life, viewing it as a gift from the gods. This reverence for both humans and animals reflects a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of all existence. Although the Egyptians occasionally ate meat, their diet consisted mainly of vegetarian or pescatarian dishes, emphasizing their respect for the sacredness of all things. life.

Accordingly, in the past, the Persian army exploited this cultural reverence by using cats as hostages and using them as a strategic weapon in battle. Knowing that cats held a special place in Egyptian society, the Persians led these animals (along with other creatures) before their battle lines and even painted images of cats on their shields. their.

Three millennia ago, because of cats, the ancient Egyptians failed in the battle that decided the country's fate with the Persian invaders. It was the battle of Pelusium that took place in 525 BC between the Persian army commanded by Emperor Cambyses II and the Egyptian army of pharaoh Psametik III (also known as Psammenitus) .

The battle was sparked by the event of Cambyses II proposing to the Egyptian pharaoh's daughter, Amasis. Amasis did not want to turn his daughter into a political tool, so he took the daughter of the previous pharaoh as a substitute. This plot was revealed, making Cambyses extremely angry at being deceived, so he immediately launched war. By the time he personally led the army to attack Egypt, pharaoh Amasis had passed away and passed the throne to Psammenitus.

Psammenitus decided to station troops at Pelusium, an important Egyptian city located near the mouth of the Nile River, to welcome the Persian army. Here, the defense force continuously repelled each attack of the Persians. It seemed like they were sure of victory, but the Egyptian army failed miserably due to the cats.

This stems from the fact that the ancient Egyptians worshiped Bastet , a goddess with a human body and a cat head, symbolizing family, love and birth. Depicted with a female body and a cat's head, or sometimes as a cat sitting in a majestic pose, Bastet symbolizes various aspects of domestic life and femininity. She is revered as the goddess of family, customs and women's secrets, symbolizing fertility, childbirth and protecting motherhood. Bastet is believed to protect households from evil spirits and diseases, especially those affecting women and children. Her presence is said to bring blessings and prosperity to families, ensuring their happiness and harmony.

Because of the goddess Bastet, the Egyptians deeply worshiped cats . Anyone who kills even one cat will receive the death penalty .

Cambyses II sent an entire attack force carrying live cats to attack the Egyptian army.

Knowing this, Cambyses II immediately ordered the image of the god Bastet to be painted on the soldiers' shields . He even sent an attack force carrying live cats to attack the Egyptian army. The Egyptian army saw the image of the goddess on the enemy's shield and felt scared, not daring to fight. They all abandoned their positions and fled as the "cat army" rushed toward the citadel.

Egyptian soldiers were massacred by enemy troops, and corpses piled up so much that Herodotus, the famous historian of ancient Greece, recorded that their bones were still mixed in the desert sand many years later. After the battle, Emperor Cambyses II moved forward and besieged Memphis. Memphis quickly fell, Cambyses II captured Psammenitus and took control of Egypt.

Although cats enjoyed high status in ancient Egypt, they were not domesticated in the Nile Valley. Instead, the earliest records of domesticated cats come from the Near East, a region known as the Fertile Crescent. It was here that some of humanity's earliest civilizations emerged.

The first agricultural revolution turned hunter-gatherers into farmers, who abandoned their nomadic lifestyle. This change was accompanied by the emergence of new technologies and the first complex societies, as settlements gradually transformed into cities and then kingdoms and empires. Food surpluses promote the development of civilization. However, large granaries and valuable grain stores were constantly threatened by a small but persistent enemy - rats and other vermin.

It was here that cats introduced themselves to humans and became an indispensable part of human history. Attracted by rodents, local feral cats sneaked into the first farming villages. Realizing their value, people began to treat these cats well, leaving food scraps to encourage them to stay.

Gradually, cats adapted to humans. However, cats have never been fully domesticated, unlike dogs. The earliest evidence of cats and humans living together comes from Cyprus, where archaeologists unearthed the tomb of a 9,500-year-old prehistoric tabby cat buried with its owner.