Assassination

Assassination is the murder of a prominent person, often a political leader or ruler, usually for political reasons or payment. An assassination may be prompted by religious, political or military motives; it is an act that may be done for financial gain, to avenge a grievance, from a desire to acquire fame or notoriety or because of a military, security or insurgent group's command to carry out the homicide.

Ancient Methods
First assassinations have been likely to be direct and simple: stabbing, strangling or bludgeoning. The key technique was likely infiltration, with the actual assassination by stabbing, smothering or strangulation. Poisons also started to be used in many forms. In ancient Rome, paid mobs were sometimes used to beat political enemies to death.

Modern Methods
With the advent of effective ranged weaponry and later firearms, the position of an assassination target was more precarious. Bodyguards were no longer enough to hold back determined killers, who no longer needed to directly engage or even subvert the guard to kill the leader in question.