Not so big mysteries

Cambyses Army

Imagine the tremendous army, soldiers, horses, as walks forward to defeat the enemy. Should happen huge battle, but didn´t, never. Army disappered without a trace and after few thousand years army emerged from the sand as a reminder of the great ruler...

Persian king Cambysos, king of the Achaemenid empire ruled in the years 530 – 522 BC. He was son of Cyrus II the Great, who was one of the most important rulers, he conquer foreign territories, including also Lydia. It is well known that before this fight went Lydian king Croesus for advice to Vestiaria in Delft. Pythia´s response was that if he will cross the river Halys, the great empire will be destroyed. Croesus interpreted badly and lost. To  indignant Croesus  then Pythia said that he should first ask which kingdom will be destroyed.

Cambysos in conquering new areas follow his father and is known that he conquered virtually all Egypt. The only place that contrary was Oracle of god Amun, which was located in the oasis of Siwa. Cambyses sent there an army of 50 thousand soldiers. The army, however, after 7 days of wandering disappeared and weren´t found.

Herodotus stated that „the army was going from this Oasis through the sandy desert to attack them, and had got to a point about mid-way between them and the Oasis, while they were taking their morning mal a violent South Wind blew upon them, and bearing with it heaps of the desert sand it buried them under it, and so they disappeared and were seen no more.“

Thus, Herodotus stated that a huge army was buried beneath the sand. Can it be truth? Experts Angelo and Alfredo Castiglioni carried out in the field survey. As stated by Rossela Lorenzi for news.discovery.com on the place were found „bronze weapons, a silver bracelet, and earring and hundreds of human bones  (...) among the bones, a number of Persian arrow heads and horse bit, identical to one appearing in a depiction of an ancient Persian horse, emerged.“

The rest of the remnants of the army should be located deeper in the sand. After geological survey were found under the sand dried water and wells that are covered by sand and proof that once there really was situated oasis. 50 thousand men army buried sand and only time will show what everything is beneath it.

Citations:

The History of Herodotus, parallel English/Greek, tr. G.C.Macaulay, 1890, at sacred-texts.com

Rossela Lorenzi. Vanished Persian Army Said Found in Desert. NEWS.DISCOVERY. 2012. Available at: http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/cambyses-army-remains-sahara.htm
picture source: https://pixabay.com/sk/piesok-kroky-stopy-pl%C3%A1%C5%BE-pobre%C5%BEie-768783/