During the Persian conquest of Egypt, the Achaemenid King Cambyses II launched an attack on the strategic city of Pelusium. According to Herodotus, the Persians placed cats and other animals sacred to the Egyptians on their front lines or painted them on their shields. Fearing they would harm these holy creatures, the Egyptian defenders surrendered, allowing the Persians to annex Egypt into their vast empire.

This unusual tactical use of animal reverence became a staple of classical historical anecdotes preserved in Western literature. It influenced Renaissance and Romantic-era writers who explored the clash between Eastern and Western cultures and the 'orientalist' fascination with Egyptian mysticism and animal symbolism.