Gray, J. M. 2010. These agents were not just men. However, Hulagu promised clemency- if the Hashshashins leader surrendered himself. The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam . Ashor the King Killer and Priest Savior. The Thuggees have been called the worlds first Mafia and it is believed they were responsible for around 2000,000 deaths. Groups of assassins usually operated covertly; making stealth, speed, and cunning as essential a part of their arsenal of skills as weapon use. These families lived in independent territories, they ruled without an overlord. This means that being an assassin with the Thuggees was a position that is likely to have remained in the same families for generations. 14th-century painting of the successful assassination ofNizam al-Mulk, vizier of the Seljuq Empire, by an ancient assassin from the Hashashins. Some fell into the category of the assassin by default: by becoming Ronin. The sorceress Medea (see Crimes of Passion: Jason, Medea, and the Argonauts) gave . A member of Jesse James gang, Ford took part in robberies across the wild west. However, at first, it seemed the assassination would fail as the assassins initially failed to carry out their mission. Fans of the popular video game series Assassins Creed would be familiar with the castle of Masyaf in Syria. 11.Han Solo: A fighter and warrior known for his resilience in 'Star Wars'. Stone carving of a Vishkanya. In total she killed 23 people throughout the 1980s, until she was finally arrested. In their disguises, they were able to enter the Yoshinaka mansion and familiarize themselves with the layout. Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. The Order of the Assassins will be born from the followers of Nizar, a separate Ismaili Shiites faction that believes in the leadership of Nizar one of the sons of the Fatimid caliph and Ismailis Imam Al Mustansir. After that, Josephus tells us that: many were slain every day, while the fear men were in of being so served was afflicting. The notorious Muslim leader Saladin allegedly received one of these threatening Hashashin notes pinned to his table with a poisoned dagger as he slept, along with a tray of Hashashin scones. In fact, the word "assassin" is said to have originated with the Hashshashin. It was originally thought the fortress was impenetrable, and the Hashashins did successfully defended the castle against an attack led by Saladin in 1176 AD. Many girls did not survive the training, as they could not withstand preparatory dosage. So a plan was hatched. She poisoned him, but it only seemed to have made him violently ill. Time Travelers. Staatliche Antikensammlungen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. He was wise enough to heed the warning and did as they had instructed. Tomo Sukesada was a jonin (master ninja) of the Koga and the head of the Tomo Ryu tradition. Considered one of the most famous heroines of Greek mythology, Atalanta was a renowned and swift-footed huntress. Contrary to popular portrayal, firearms such as the arquebus were a favorite weapon of the ninja and were in fact employed regularly by them in their assassination attempts. If this had gone ahead, the Black Hand Gangs much longed for Serbian revolution would not occur. His sword is famous in Greek mythology. She then decided to dedicate her life to avenging her fathers murder. In Norse Mythology, the Goddess Freyja is known for three things; her gold necklace, her flying chariot, and the beautiful, giant cats that pull the chariot. Aeneas was the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite. All were specialized killers, trained to take out specific religious or political targets quickly and cleanly without widespread bloodshed. But poison is not always easy to administer, and a victim may be able to raise the alarm before they succumbed to it. The ronin then laid his head on Asano Naganoris tomb. However, after that, the outcome was not quite as the gang had planned. The modern name for covert killers assassin takes its name from this Islamic sect, which operated between the eleventh and thirteenth century AD. To this end, their arsenal of equipment was diverse. The games are known for their historical accuracy and while the society itself may be fictional, there really were assassins in most, if not all, of the ancient civilizations we are familiar with today. Harmodius and Aristogeiton. In time he madness grew an he became the first emperor to actually fight in the Colosseum. Many of their number settled in the area, disguised as tradesmen and monks so they would not attract undue attention- and so that they could gain access to the residence. A depiction of Peleus wrestling Atalanta. The Mongols destroyed Alamat and paraded the defeated Hashshashin leader at each of his subordinate fortresses. ( Frdric Prochasson / Adobe). He was apparently a master with the Tanegashima arquebus, a type of matchlock rifle: The fact that the arquebus was his weapon of choice would suggest that Yazaemon was an expert with explosives and specialized in teppo-jutsu, a sub category of katon-nojutsu, or fire techniques. However, the Sicarii were open to doing deals with their hated oppressors. the world-famous sword in the stone. After it was captured by the Hashashins, the fortress was vastly improved upon. Loki is perhaps the most well-known of all mythical tricksters. Because he started world war one. When it comes to legends, none is quite as moviesque as that of the Hashshashins, who in the Middle Ages inspired fear in the hearts of leaders in the Middle East. This was enough to convince Balthasar Grard who was also a rigid catholic. 12 people were killed by the terrorist kidnappers, shocking the world. According to Plutarch, this was because since the lovers, ashamed to be base in sight of their beloved, and the beloved before their lovers, willingly rush into danger for the relief of one another. (Life of Pelopidas). The groups first notable killing was the High Priest, Jonathan. While she had technically broken the law, her case won over public support, and the government issued her a pardon. However, Pelopidas did not despair. He was a vassal and samurai in the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and was a major driving force in Ieyasu becoming the shogun and ruler of all Japan. Google Images. Excavations under the lion uncovered 254 skeletons laid out in 7 rows- confirmation that the sacred band was indeed buried with honors. However, the discord and disunity fermenting in the city weakened Jewish unity and helped the Romans to retake Jerusalem in 70 AD. Very few assassins from history have gone free, but Shi Jianqiao is a special case. Since the dawn of recorded history there have been assassins. Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Unleashing the End of the World, What is Shambhala? In all probability, the girls administered the poison in other ways, using alcohol or food as a carrier. The Secret Nazi Guerrilla Organization, ThoughtCo The Black Hand: Serbian Terrorists Spark WWI. Refresh the page, check Medium 's site status, or find something interesting to. But when she found the list, Marcia conspired with a few senators also on the list. The vishkanya, deadly and beautiful assassins, were developed in ancient India to end the conflict between kings without widespread violence. Whichever form they took, assassins were elite killing groups, trained to act with no regard for their safety. Josephus in his War of the Jews describes how the Sicarii would mingle with crowds at festivals, stalking their targets, then discretely stabbing them with their eponymous daggers which they hid under cloaks before melting away into the crowd. However, Gogidass citadel guard was composed of 150 pairs of lovers. When they kidnapped the secretary of the governor of the temple of Jerusalem, they agreed to free him unharmed for the safe return of ten of their captured assassins. But after the assassination, he tried to claim the reward for killing Jesse James. Although this is a list of real life ninjas, it is very much debatable whether or not some of them truly were ninjas and, in some cases, whether they actually existed at all. Legends surrounding the training of the Fidayin suggest they may have been plied with cannabis when they first joined the Hashashins, though this is likely down to travelers such as Marco Polo misinterpreting the name Hashashins as being linked to the use of hashish. Very few assassins from history have gone free, but Shi Jianqiao is a special case. The Sicarii intended to expel the Romans and their Assassinations have existed for a very long time in the history of human civilization. As a youth Ford always admired James, and as an adult they had been close. Speculum. Osprey Publishing. They needed a number of attributes along with physical strength and skill with weaponry, assassins had to be clever enough to trap their targets, as well as literate and educated so they could understand other cultures and speak multiple languages. Some daimyo even ordered their samurai to become Ronin so they could move against the system without jeopardizing their domain. Greek army units usually separated male lovers. The Iga and Koga areas of Japan were renown for their Ninja training schools and soon gave their names to the two most prestigious groups of Ninja: the Iga and Koga. His word held weight in 16th century Japan. When things would get difficult for him, he would just move to another of his houses and assume a different identity. Warriors of Medieval Japan . Tuttle Publishing. She is also famous for killing two centaurs, Hylaeus and Rhoecus, who attempted to rape her. During that period, the Hashshashin were greatly feared, as their operatives seemed to strike from nowhere. Mongol forces besieged Alamut. They were buried at the Sengakuji temple in Tokyo. The Koga assassins were sent into the castle every night to report on weak spots, also raiding the castles provisions and sabotaging the defenses. Then, two things happened: either Chaos or Gaia created the universe as we know it, or Ouranos and Tethys gave birth to the first beings. Fictional Princes. He was the right hand of Malik Shah and Alp Arslan, who inthe eyes of the Order were the detested rulers of the Persian lands. She bears a name that means 'all-gifts,' which was created as an ideal. ( Fotokitas / Adobe). Was this German silver mine really defended by two Roman forts and a line of "spike defenses? The most famous band of Ronin were the Forty-seven Loyal Ronin who in the eighteenth century banded together to seek vengeance against the killer of their master. Trotsky was actually able to overpower Mercader, restraining him until authorities arrived. In the series, the castle of Masyaf was the headquarters of the notorious Assassins, and Ivar the Boneless was likely the son of legendary Viking king Ragnar Lothbrok, and raided alongside his father and brothers, eventually becoming ruler of York in England in the 9th century AD. Their exploits and tactics often seem outlandish to us today and perhaps it is the fact that they seem almost fictional but really did exist that makes games like Assassins Creed and movies featuring ninjas and other ancient assassins so popular today. Balthasar Grard is one of the least known, though greatest assassins from history. When the Serbian government refused, Austria declared war. It is often considered their most significant assassination. The gardens would be full of beautiful dark-eyed girls, fountains of honey, milk and wine and everything else the religion promised to the believers. Their logic was, without food, the people would have no choice but to fight rather than waiting to sue for peace. Thats one year for each of her victims. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. At some point during this period he was trained in surveillance and espionage by the Soviet secret service. Read Books Ltd. Lendering, J. List of fictional assassins and bounty hunters, "The 10 Greatest Bounty Hunters 'Star Wars' Has Ever Seen", "9 Best Fictional Assassins in Movies, Games, and TV", "10 Coolest Bounty Hunters in the Galaxy", "Every Bounty Hunter In Star Wars Movies & Shows", "Black Krrsantan - Star Wars' newest Wookiee warrior and his surprising Marvel origin", "The Book of Boba Fett's Black Krrsantan Explained: Why This Fearsome Wookiee Is a Big Deal for Star Wars", "Ubisoft Announces 'Assassin's Creed The Ezio Collection;' Get Ready To Replay As Ezio Auditore Da Firenze On PS4, Xbox One", "10 Best Bounty Hunters In The Marvel Universe", "New Elektra Ongoing Series Coming from Marvel in 2017", "The best and worst Quentin Tarantino movies (including 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood')", "Ranking the Bounty Hunters who chased Han Solo", "10 things you didn't know about the background characters in the iconic 'Star Wars' cantina scene", "The Totally Plausible Rick And Morty Fan Theory That Fixes Season 2's Ending", "Star Wars: 10 Most Intimidating Quotes From Bounty Hunters, Ranked", "Star Wars: 10 Characters Who Returned To The Light Side", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_fictional_assassins_and_bounty_hunters&oldid=1138538535, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 06:16. 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