Siege of Prosoptis

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Siege of Prosoptis
partof=Greco-Persian Wars


caption=
date=454 BC
place=Prosoptis, Egypt
casus=Athenian-aided Egyptian rebellion.
territory=Persia re-establishes control over Egypt.
result=Decisive Persian victory.
combatant1=Delian League,
Egypt,
Libya
combatant2=Achaemenid Empire
commander1=Cimon,
Inarus,
Charitimides†
commander2=Artabazus
strength1=50,000 men,
200 Athenian ships,
50 Egyptian ships
(Isocrates)
strength2=Unknown
casualties1=50,000 men,
200 Athenian ships,
50 Egyptian ships
(Isocrates)
casualties2=Unknown
notes=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.

References

* [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-9475%28197110%2992%3A4%3C605%3ATADIE%3E2.0.CO%3B2-K&size=LARGE&origin=JSTOR-enlargePage| The Athenian Disaster in Egypt] , Jan M. Libourel, "The American Journal of Philology", Vol. 92, No. 4 (Oct., 1971), pp. 605-615