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Help[Facts] Sicarius
On BBC News tonight, as part of a report on the murder of a nine-year-old girl in Liverpool, a clip was shown of a former gang member, now rehabilitated and working to turn others around. His name was given as Sicarius McGrath; Wikipedia gives references to Jewish Zealot terrorists who fought against the Roman occupation of Palestine, and to a venomous spider. Sicarius in Latin is 'assassin' or 'murderer' and it seems to be a very strange choice of name; made me wonder if he might have chosen it himself in his lawless days. Has anyone else come across it?
This message was edited 3/30/2023, 11:29 AM
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A reference to Sicarios as well.
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Searching for the full name I found an article from the British "The Sun" claiming that he changed his name and that the name change was inspired by a Mexican gang member ... https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2409877/gangster-pimp-jailed-blackmail-pics-posing-cash-snakes/
Daily Mail claims he named himself after a deadly spider (at least the spider exists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicarius_(spider) )
Daily Mail claims he named himself after a deadly spider (at least the spider exists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicarius_(spider) )
This message was edited 3/30/2023, 1:35 PM
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Yeah. The Sun and the Daily Mail. It is certainly a fact that they have written what yuo have quoted, so I suppose the Facts Board is the right place, up to a point! I imagine that whoever named the spider did so because its death-dealing properties reminded them of the anti-Roman Jews. And I also imagine that the Mexican gangster must have found his new name somewhere: probably also from the ancient Jews since the sicarius spider doesn't appear to occur in Mexico. But who knows, really? And why Mr McGrath, a British citizen, would choose a Mexican crook or a toxic arachnid, or both, to name himself after isn't clear either. Thanks very much for the info; it's fascinating!
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