AMBĬTUS, which literally signifies “a going about,” cannot, perhaps,
be more nearly expressed than by our word _canvassing_. After the
plebs had formed a distinct class at Rome, and when the whole body
of the citizens had become very greatly increased, we frequently
read, in the Roman writers, of the great efforts which it was
necessary for candidates to make in order to secure the votes of the
citizens. At Rome, as in every community into which the element of
popular election enters, solicitation of votes, and open or secret
influence and bribery, were among the means by which a candidate
secured his election to the offices of state. The following are the
principal terms occurring in the Roman writers in relation to the
canvassing for the public offices:--A candidate was called _petitor_;
and his opponent with reference to him _competitor_. A candidate
(_candidatus_) was so called from his appearing in the public places,
such as the fora and Campus Martius, before his fellow-citizens,
in a whitened toga. On such occasions the candidate was attended
by his friends (_deductores_), or followed by the poorer citizens
(_sectatores_), who could in no other manner show their good will
or give their assistance. The word _assiduitas_ expressed both
the continual presence of the candidate at Rome and his continual
solicitations. The candidate, in going his rounds or taking his
walk, was accompanied by a _nomenclator_, who gave him the names
of such persons as he might meet; the candidate was thus enabled
to address them by their name, an indirect compliment, which could
not fail to be generally gratifying to the electors. The candidate
accompanied his address with a shake of the hand (_prensatio_). The
term _benignitas_ comprehended generally any kind of treating, as
shows, feasts, &c. The _ambitus_, which was the object of several
penal enactments, taken as a generic term, comprehended the two
species--_ambitus_ and _largitiones_ (bribery). _Liberalitas_ and
_benignitas_ are opposed by Cicero, as things allowable, to _ambitus_
and _largitio_, as things illegal. Money was paid for votes; and,
in order to insure secrecy and secure the elector, persons called
_interpretes_ were employed to make the bargain, _sequestres_ to hold
the money till it was to be paid, and _divisores_ to distribute it.
The offence of ambitus was a matter which belonged to the judicia
publica, and the enactments against it were numerous. One of the
earliest, though not the earliest of all, the Lex Cornelia Baebia
(B.C. 181) was specially directed against _largitiones_. Those
convicted under it were incapacitated from being candidates for
ten years. The Lex Cornelia Fulvia (B.C. 159) punished the offence
with exile. The Lex Acilia Calpurnia (B.C. 67) imposed a fine on
the offending party, with exclusion from the senate and all public
offices. The Lex Tullia (B.C. 63), passed in the consulship of
Cicero, in addition to the penalty of the Acilian law, inflicted
ten years’ exsilium on the offender; and, among other things,
forbade a person to exhibit gladiatorial shows (_gladiatores dare_)
within any two years in which he was a candidate, unless he was
required to do so, on a fixed day, by a testator’s will. Two years
afterwards the Lex Aufidia was proposed, but not passed; by which,
among other things, it was provided that, if a candidate promised
(_pronuntiavit_) money to a tribe, and did not pay it, he should
be unpunished; but, if he did pay the money, he should further pay
to each tribe (annually?) 3000 sesterces as long as he lived. This
absurd proposal occasioned the witticism of Cicero, who said that
Clodius observed the law by anticipation; for he promised, but did
not pay. The Lex Licinia (B.C. 55) was specially directed against the
offence of _sodalitium_, or the wholesale bribery of a tribe by gifts
and treating; and another lex, passed (B.C. 52) when Pompey was sole
consul, had for its object the establishment of a speedier course
of proceeding on trials for ambitus. All these enactments failed
in completely accomplishing their object. That which no law could
suppress, so long as the old popular forms retained any of their
pristine vigour, was accomplished by the imperial usurpation. Caesar,
when dictator, nominated some of the candidates for public offices:
as to the consulship, he managed the appointments to that office just
as he pleased. The popular forms of election were observed during the
time of Augustus. Tiberius transferred the elections from the comitia
to the senate, by which the offence of ambitus, in its proper sense,
entirely disappeared. The trials for ambitus were numerous in the
time of the republic. The oration of Cicero in defence of L. Murena,
who was charged with ambitus, and that in defence of Cn. Plancius,
who was charged with _sodalitium_, are both extant.
AMBRŎSĬA (ἀμβροσία), the food of the gods, which conferred upon them
eternal youth and immortality, and was brought to Jupiter by pigeons.
It was also used by the gods for anointing their body and hair;
whence we read of the ambrosial locks of Jupiter.
AMBŪBAIAE (probably from the Syriac _abub aubub_, a pipe), Eastern
dancing girls, who frequented chiefly the Circus at Rome, and
obtained their living by prostitution and lascivious songs and dances.
AMBURBĬUM, a sacrifice which was performed at Rome for the
purification of the city.