ASSASIN, or ASSASSIN, a person who kills another with the advantage either of an inequality in the weapons, or by means of the situation of the place, or by attacking him at unawares.
The word assassin is said by some to have been brought from the Levant, where it took its rise from a certain prince of the family of the Arfacide; popularly called Assassins, living in a castle between Antioch and Damascus, and bringing up a number of young men, ready to pay a blind obedience to his commands; whom he employed in murdering the princes with whom he was at enmity. But according to Mr Volney, the word Hassassin (from the root basi, "to kill, to assassinate, to listen, to surprise,") in the vulgar Arabic signifies "Robbers of the night," persons who lie in ambush to kill; and is very universally understood in this sense at Cairo and in Syria. Hence it was applied to the Batenians, who flew by surprise. See the next article.
There was a certain law of nations, an opinion received in all the republics of Greece and Italy, whereby he that assassinated an usurper of the supreme power was declared a virtuous man. At Rome especially, after the expulsion of the kings, the law was formal and solemn, and instances of it admitted. The commonwealth armed the hand of any citizen, and created him magistrate for that moment.