Sicarii comes from the Latin word for dagger sica, and means assasins or murderers. The Sicarii, or "dagger men" carried out murders and assassinations with short daggers.

Founded In:

1st Century CE (Common Era, the first year that Jesus Christ is assumed to have been born. Also called A.D., anno domini, meaning "in the year of our Lord.")

The Sicarii were led by descendents of Judas of Galilee, who helped foster revolt against direct Roman rule in 6 CE, when they attempted to carry out a census of the Jews under the rule of Roman governor Quirinius in Syria, so that they could tax them.

Sicarii terrorism began as Jewish resistance to Roman rule in the region, which began in 40 BCE. Fifty six years later, in 6 CE, Judea and two other districts were combined and put under the control of Roman rule in what would later be considered greater Syria.

Jewish groups began violent resistance to Roman rule around 50 CE, when the Sicarii and other groups started using guerrilla or terrorist tactics. All out war between the Jews and the Romans broke out in 67, when Romans invaded. The war ended in 70 CE, when Roman forces devastated Jerusalem.

To end Roman direct rule over the Jews.

Tactics:

The Sicariis most notable tactic was the use of short daggers to kill people. Although they were not terrorists in the modern sense, this method of murdering people in crowded places before slipping away did cause extreme anxiety among surrounding onlookers, and thus terrorize them.

As political scientist and terrorist expert David C. Rapaport has pointed out, the Sicarii were distinct in primarily targeting other Jews considered to be either collaborators or quiescent in the face of Roman rule.

They attacked, in particular, Jewish notables and elites associated with the priesthood. This strategy distinguishes them from the Zealots, who aimed their violence against Romans.