Greece, Early Classical Period, Delian League (478-454 BC): Egypt

In 461/0 BC in Egypt a rebellion began under the Libyan Inaros (d.454 BC). The country was soon largely in his hands and he then appealed to the Athenians for assistance in their fight against the Persians. An Athenian fleet at that time campaigning at Cyprus was sent to Egypt and sailed up the Nile to join Inaros’ forces. Papremis seems to have been a city on the Nile Delta. The Athenians and the Egyptians joined forces and eventually broke through the Persian line, whereupon the Persian army was routed and fled

The Persian army found refuge in the citadel of Memphis (called the ‘White Castle’) and could not be dislodged. The Persian general Megabyzus arrived with an army and relieved the siege. He defeated the Egyptians in battle and the Athenians fell back to the island of Prosopitis in the Nile Delta, where their ships were moored. There, Megabyzus laid siege to them for eighteen months. Only a few of the Athenian force, marching through Libya to Cyrene, survived to return to Greece. A squadron of fifty triremes sent to relieve the siege of Prosopitis, unaware that the Athenians had succumbed, put in at the western mouth of the Nile, where it was attacked. More than half of the ships were destroyed.