Siege of Prosoptis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Siege of Prosoptis

Date	454 BC
Location	Prosoptis, Egypt
Result	Decisive Persian victory.
Territorial changes	Persia re-establishes control over Egypt.

Belligerents

Delian League,
Egypt,
Libya

Achaemenid Empire

Commanders

Cimon,
Inarus,
Charitimides†

Artabazus

Strength

50,000 men,
200 Athenian ships,
50 Egyptian ships
(Isocrates)

Unknown

Casualties and losses

50,000 men,
200 Athenian ships,
50 Egyptian ships
(Isocrates)

Unknown

v • d • e Greco-Persian Wars

lonia – 1st Naxos – Sardis – Ephesus – Mylasa – Pedasa – Lade – 2nd Naxos – Eretria – Marathon – Thermopylae – Artemisium – Salamis – Potidea – Olynthus – Plataea – Mycale – Sestos – Byzantium – Eion – Doriskos – Eurymedon – Pampremis– Memphis(naval) – Prosoptis– Citium– Salamis in Cyprus

The Siege of Prosoptis was a part of the Greco-Persian Wars.

After Greek successes in previous battles the Lybian king that was helping the Egyptians to revolt against Persia invited the Athenian-led Delian League, which was campaigning in Cyprus with over 200 ships to help him in Egypt. The Greeks accepted the offer and sent a fleet, which according to old texts suggest that Cimon had arrived with some 250 ships for the battle. The outcome of the battle however was a disaster for the Delian League and Egypt as Athens lost an entire fleet, and Inarus was captured by the Persian army. For Persia, it signalled the end of the Egyptian rebellion, which had began two years prior to the battle, and the re-emergence of political authority back into Egypt. It was also the end of the Greek army's advancing into Persia and peace was signed between the two sides.