Egyptian assassins

Alright, I'm currently working on a book where I need the use of Egyptian assassins in the year 564 B.C. I'm having trouble finding information on what they may have looked like, acted like,...etc. I don't know if this is because of Nebuchadnezzar's invasion around that time, or if it is just because I'm not looking in the right places. If anyone has any ideas or helpful links, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

They looked like ordinary people.

The assassins as a group/sect is from more modern times. www.alamut.com...

I think the ninjas of Japan were the only group of assassins to have some sort of dress code. Everybody else tried to blend in with the crowd.

Originally posted by Byrd
They looked like ordinary people.

So there would not have been any particular tools aside from those associated with your typical weapons of the time? Copper axes, daggers...whatnot? And if so, would there have been any special skills amonst them, or would they have just been among the elite in the Egyptian army, and therefore the best suited for the jobs?

Here's a neat idea to try, depending on how 'out there' your book is.

There was a cartoon movie about alexander the great, where he was shadowed by ancient assasins and ultimately killed by them. They were supposed to be 'pythagoreans', but part of a secret cult started by pythagoras. You could use that, or perhaps a special sort of preist who could use his preistly contacts to get behind the lines and close to the king.

Or you could use the jews. In so far as, often jews got access to royal courts, where they'd take the role of dream interpreter, must've been something that the jews practiced at the times. So maybe the egyptians in your story send a jew into the court, posing as an interpretor, and then doing the job.

OR you could use a Hittite mercenary of the time. The hittites were famous as mercenaries in the ancient world where they were hired as 'free lances', ie, unalligned soldiers. That might be interesting, since the Hittites, Egyptians, and Assyrians were the major power players. Sending a Hittite freelance assasin might make sense as it would take the supiscion off the real backers.

So as far as weapons, etc, I can't think of anything a dedicated assasin would have. The egyptians would've probably just send someone that could do the job, ad hoc, not from a speciality, like the arabic assasins or the japanese ninjas, etc. If you use the hebrews or hittites, there'd be specifics. The hittites had, as far as I understand, hair that was 'dreaded', for whatever the reason (supposed to protect their heads as padding, if you can beleive that), so that might be something to take note of.

I'd recommend having a look at "the Histories" of Herodotus.

Book II is his description of Egypt about 50 years after your story takes place. You might get some "Local flavor" for your work that you'd miss in modern works, i.e. their sex habits, head shaving, etc.

The Egyptian priests were renowned for medical prowess, and so you could have them as poisoners or something, since the two are often equated.

The Egyptians were also pioneers in glassmaking. One of the most ancient poisons was powdered (not ground) glass, put in foods. Microscopic ulcerations in the small intestine eventually lead to death over months, while the occasional dinner guest wont notice anything; neither will the official court taster.

Then you could do a thing with followers of some "evil god" like set trying to off someone by maybe putting a scorpion in their bed, or an asp or other noxious critter. Or howabout a boatride in the nile, on a barge where a plug can be pulled so that the victim sinks right in the midst of a gator-infested marsh. Maybe a ritual where the young courtier has to spend the night in the god's temple, and is found dead in the morning? There are records of this, in the temple of the Greek god Asclepius, so it's not impossible. Or just deserting them in the desert, or having the pharonic guard retreat in the middle of a battle, leaving Pharaoh to defend himself on the battlefield.

Anyway, Herodotus is an unused resource that could give your work an authentic flair that would still be "novel" to most modern readers.

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Originally posted by EdenKaia

Originally posted by Byrd
They looked like ordinary people.

So there would not have been any particular tools aside from those associated with your typical weapons of the time? Copper axes, daggers...whatnot? And if so, would there have been any special skills amonst them, or would they have just been among the elite in the Egyptian army, and therefore the best suited for the jobs?

No, and no. And no.

Assassination attempts were usually done by members of the royal family themselves. They might go to a poisoner to buy poisons or lead a group on an attempt on someone's life. But there weren't any "hired thugs."

Here's an article from an espionage site on assassinations through history:
www.espionageinfo.com...

Royalty back then was even more protected than President Bush is today. Only the high ranking had any sort of access to the rulers, and there were usually attendants (awake... several of them...) either within the chamber or in surrounding chambers plus whatever sexual partners/sleeping partners they desired at night.

I do see some scholarly texts that indicate legends saying Sargon I of Akkad escaped an assassination attempt, and that Sennecherib was assassinated (scholarly paper here that you might want to model your researches on: www.gatewaystobabylon.com... )

Here's a list of known/fairly certian assassinations in ancient Mesopotamia:
listhost.uchicago.edu...

More on rulers who died in palace revolts:
www.geocities.com...

Originally posted by dr_strangecraft
Then you could do a thing with followers of some "evil god" like set trying to off someone by maybe putting a scorpion in their bed, or an asp or other noxious critter.

Crocodiles! They had all sorts of charms against snakes, crocodiles, and hippopotomi. A nice evening stroll to see the sacred crocodiles, a ... slip... and ooops! Time to get the tomb ready and to wake up the new Pharoah!

Anyway, Herodotus is an unused resource that could give your work an authentic flair that would still be "novel" to most modern readers.

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And he's a fun old gossip. You can't believe everything he says, but he's fun!

Although the good old palace revolt seems to be the common method, judging from history. Hmm... lotsa drama in a palace revolt!

[edit on 15-5-2006 by Byrd]

Or you could go for a mesopotamian dancing holy harlot

www.ishtartemple.org...

They'd make good assasins. Just like Princess Leia got Jabba.

Curses work well.

In superstitious societies, you can get by with a lot if you can make it look like "the deity/deities called him home."

Yes, the Soviet Premier has a cold.

Most of you are probably too young to remember how Chevy Chase got famous:

"Good Evening. I'm Chevy Chase, and Generallisimo Francisco Franco is still dead . . ."

One of the Grandsons of Cyrus wound up running the Persian Empire for a while, by impersonating his own brother, who had been rumored to have died. Imagine his embarrasment when the truth came out.

The old "Prince and Pauper" plot twist always fascinates people, as well has the whole "Man in the Iron Masque" routine.

I have no idea what kind of storyline the author of this thread is developing, but intrique is at the heart of every good mystery.

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The story line's use of the assassination attempt is only a minor role, and the assassination is unsuccessful. It is Nebuchadnezzar himself who is the intended victim, and his son Amel will foil it. I am writing a fiction in which Amel is never killed by Neriglissar, but rather leaves Babylon on a journey for an answer to a curse he carries. A demon feeds on his soul, the remnant of one of Lucifer's fallen compatriots, and Amel seeks a way to rid himself of it. I appreciate the input, it has been most helpful.

I think i remember seeing something about them, that they would serve under the person they were ment to kil for years and then when the chance arose they would do it in the most public area they could and didn't even try run. i think these were like the first ever suicide bombers