Cambyses II

• How is Cambyses different to Cyrus?

  -less tolerant: views the Ionians and Aeolians as slaves
• Why did Cambyses conquer Egypt?

  -Amasis deceived him by sending a girl in the place of his daughter to marry Cambyses

  -his mother said that Cyrus scorned her because of the Egyptians, Cambyses wanted revenge

  -eye doctor had a grudge against Amasis, who sent him off to Persia, Cambyses wanted revenge

  -Cambyses wanted a bigger empire
• Who was the King of Egypt?

  Amasis
• How did the Persians gain a navy?

  Polycrates of Samos was willing to lend Cambyses 40 triremes because Amasis had died and been replaced by his son, so the Persians were more likely to win. He was scared of a potential rebellion, so he sent off all the aspiring rebels to Egypt.
• How did Cambyses gain inside information on Egypt?

  Phanes from Halicarnassus told Cambyses all about Amasis and gave suggestions on how to proceed against him.
• How did the Arabs help Cambyses cross the Sinai?

  They gave him safe passage through the desert and there was a pipe system that transported water that they could use.
• How did Cambyses stop the Egyptians attacking him?

  He had his army hold up cats, because they were sacred to the Egyptians and they wouldn't hurt cats.
• How did Cambyses defeat the Egyptians?

  There was a fierce battle, and then the Egyptians fled to Memphis. He sent messengers to try and make peace with them, but they butchered the Mytilenean messengers. As a result, Cambyses besieged them and they eventually submitted.
• How did Cambyses treat Psammenitus?

  He put him in the outer part of the city to insult him and dressed his daughter in slave costume, forcing her to walk past her father. He killed his son, but did feel pity towards Psammenitus. However, he was stirring a revolt so he died via bull's blood.
• How did Cambyses treat Amasis?

  Herodotus says he dug up, flayed and burnt his body which was very disrespectful as the Egyptians believed that the body was needed for the afterlife.
• Cambyses' military failings


  -not enough provisions to last the journey to Ethiopia: he knew but continued anyway! The soldiers ended up eating every tenth man, eventually forcing Cambyses to give up

  -let 50,000 soldiers die in a sandstorm en route to Ammonia

  -too quick to jump into conflict unprepared
• Cambyses' military successes


  -Persians were victorious in the Egyptian cities of Pelusium and Memphis, so the Egyptians submitted
• How was Cambyses respectful?

  -tried to adopt Egyptian customs eg marrying his sister

  -he sacrificed the Apis Bull, allowing the normal ceremony

  -(Udjahorresne) ruled like a pharaoh and respected customs, purified the temple of Neith
• How was Cambyses cruel?

  -dug up and flayed the body of the former Egyptian king, Amasis

  -slaughtered the Apis Bull because he thought the Egyptians were celebrating his defeats in Ethiopia and Ammonia

  -mocked Egyptian god statues

  -opened up tombs and burned the bodies inside, which was very offensive to the Egyptians who believed that fire was a god, and that the body had to be preserved for the afterlife
• What did Cambyses build in the Empire?

  -Persian navy from the Phoenicians and the Cypriots, as well as Polycrates of Samos allowed access to naval trade routes and control over the Aegean

  -water pipes and cisterns throughout the desert to assist with desert crossings
• How did Cambyses die?

  He died in Syrian Ecbatana, after believing for many years that he would die in Persian Ecbatana due to a prophecy he was given. He cut his own leg with a sword when he was mounting his horse, and eventually the wound became gangrenous. He died after 7 days.
• What were the consequences of Cambyses' actions?

  -Persia gained access to a fleet through the submission of Phoenicia, Cyprus and Samos, who wanted to be "on the winning side"
• How did Cambyses treat his army?

  -supplied the army with water via a pipe system on the way to Egypt

  -sent an ill prepared force to Ammania and 50,000 men died in a sandstorm

  -led a force to Ethiopia, but didn't take adequate supplies so the soldiers ended up eating every tenth man
• How did Cambyses continue Cyrus' legacy?

  -conquered Egypt successfully, which Cyrus had always wanted to do

  -continued the multicultural accepting tradition of Persian Kings

  -also called himself King of Anshan