Assassination
the act of taking the life of anyone by surprise or treach erous violence either by a hired emissary, by one devoted to the deed, or by one who has taken the task upon himself. Generally, the term is applied to the murder of a public personage by one who aims solely at the death of his victim. In ancient times, assassination was not unknown, and was often even applauded, as in the Scriptural instances of Ehud and Jael, and in the murder of Hipparchus by Harmodius and Aristogeiton; but assassination by enthusiasts and men