"It was in Syria that the Assassins perfected and professionalised their famous squads of elite killers - the fidais. The Assassins were enemies to be feared and the best of their operatives were dedicated and highly skilled - the list of their victims reads like a Who's Who of the medieval Middle East. They were described as fanatical and brainwashed by their enemies, or dedicated and skilful by their admirers - and, depending on your perspective, both simplistic characterisations were at least partially true."
"Then as now, there were many lurid descriptions of the Assassins as drugged-up, deluded fanatics, twisted men who were eager to die for a twisted cause. But this was all part of the illusion, an essential element in the 'unstoppable death promise' that lay at the heart of the Assassin brand. Semper Fidais - The Assassin Elite They were at the forefront of the Nizari Ismailis' high-profile assassinations in Syria and"
The Nizari fidais were a small, hand-picked elite within the Nizari Ismailis who specialized in high-profile public assassinations across Syria and the medieval Middle East. Members received rigorous training for dangerous missions with low survival odds and operated in very small numbers, sufficient for the movement's focused foreign policy. The group cultivated an image of unwavering commitment and readiness to die, which critics described as fanaticism and brainwashing while supporters praised skill and dedication. The Assassins deliberately fostered the illusion of drugged fanaticism as part of an 'unstoppable death promise' that enhanced their psychological impact.
Read at Medievalists.net
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