Cambyses Flashcards
why was Cambyses called a madman?
organised the murder of his brother / kicked his pregnant sister wife to death / disrespected the corpse of the old Egyptians king / refused to believe leaders explanation and had them all executed / has the apis bull brought before him and slices its thigh with a dagger / broke into tombs and examined the bodies
What’s the story of the Apis Bull?
The Egyptians believed that their god would come in the form of a bull - the Apis bull. When Cambyses began ruling Egypt he had the Apis bull brought before him, he thought they were making fun of him and praising a cow instead of him so sliced the Apis Bulls thigh.
When did Cambyses invade Egypt?
525 BC
What was a motivation for Cambyses’ invasion of Egypt?
- Greater access to trade routes
- Desire for more power
- Polycrates of the island of Samos was a threat to Persia but an ally to Egypt
- Amasis (Egypt’s king) was a an ally to Croesus
- Cyrus asked to marry King Amasis’ daughter but they refuse and send the previous kings daughter she owns up as soon as she sees Cyrus.
How did the Persians protect themselves from the Egyptians?
they used cats, painted them on their shields etc
