only be left to speculation. Regardless, Jason epitomises how one autocrat could suddenly rise to power through mercenary employment and threaten, both politically and militarily, his neighbouring poleis. Death Jason was assassinated in 370 BC by a group of unidentified young men. Xenophon suggests the assassination may have been motivated by fear over Jason's perceived desire to take over control of the Oracle of Delphi following the Pythian Games. According to Xenophon, when the people of Delphi asked the oracle what they should do, the reply was that Apollo could take care of his own shrine (Hellenika 6.4.30). Diodorus Siculus, however, records that Jason's assassination was motivated either by the desire for fame or on the orders of his brother Polydorus (15.60.5). Eventually Alexander, possibly his son, inherited the title of tagus and ruled harshly before finally being defeated by the Thebans. Xenophon wrote of Jason: His generalship is of the highest quality—he is one who whether his methods are those of plain force, or working in the dark, or of seizing an unexpected advantage, very seldom fails to achieve his objects. He can use the night-time as well as the day time, and when he wants to move fast, he will put breakfast and dinner into one meal, so as not to interrupt his work. He will not think it right to rest until he has reached the point for which he set out and done all that had to be done. And he has trained his men to behave in the same way, although he knows how to gratify the feelings of his soldiers when they have won some success as the results of extra hard work. So all who follow him have learned this too—that one can have a good time also, if one works for it. Then, too, he is more self controlled than any man I know with regard to bodily pleasures. These never take up his time and prevent him from doing what has to be done. The inventor of hemithorakion (half-armour equipment) is believed to be Jason of Pherae Historical significance Jason of Pherae was a potentially major figure in Greek history whose potential remained unrealized because of his early death. It is clear that he intended to create a regional empire in northern and eastern Hellas similar to the empire Dionysius I created in Sicily, and his career before it was cut