Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

AMBITUS. AMB1TUS. 77
formed a distinct estate at Rome, and when the Still the practice of using a white dress on occasion
whole body of the citizens had become very greatly of canvassing was usual, and appears to have given
increased, we frequently read, in the Roman origin to the application of the term candidatus to
writers, of the great efforts which it was necessary one who was a petitor. (Cretata ambitio, Persius,
for candidates to make, in order to secure the Sat. v. 177; Polyb. x. 4. ed. Bekker.) A Lex
votes of the citizens. At Rome, as in every com- Poetelia (B.c. 358; Liv. vii. 15) forbade candimunity into which the element of popular election dates canvassing on market days, and going about
enters, solicitation of votes, and open or secret to the places in the country where people were
influence and bribery, were among the means by collected. The law was passed mainly to check
which a candidate secured his election to the offices the pretensons of novi homines, of whom the
of state. The elections recurred annually, and nobiles were jealous. By the Lex Cornelia Baebia
candidates had plenty of practice in the various (n. c. 181) those who were convicted of ambitus
modes of corruption. were incapacitated from being candidates for ten
Whatever may be the authority of the piece years. (Liv. xl. 19; SclJol. Bob. p. 361.) The
intitled "Q. Ciceronis de Petitione Consulatus ad Lex Acilia Calpurnia (B. c. 67) was intended to
M. Tullium Fratrem," it seems to present a pretty suppress treating of the electors and other like
fair picture of those arts and means, by which a matters: the penalties were fine, exclusion from
candidate might lawfully endeavour to secure the the senate, and perpetual incapacity to hold office.
votes of the electors, and also some intimation of (Dion Cass. xxxvi. 21.) The Lex Tullia was
those means which were not lawful, and which it passed in the consulship of Cicero (B. c. 63) for
was the object of various enactments to repress. the purpose of adding to the penalties of the Acilia
A candidate was calledpetitor; and his opponent Calpurnia. (Dion Cass. xxxvii. 29; Cic. piro
with reference to him, competitor. A candidate Murena, c. 23.) The penalty under this lex was
(candidatus) was so called from his appearing in the ten years' exile. This law forbade any person to
public places, such as the fora and Campus Mar- exhibit public shows for two years before he was
tius, before his fellow-citizens, in a whitened toga. a candidate. It also forbade candidates hiring
On such occasions, the candidate was attended by persons to attend them and be about their persons.
his friends (deductores), or followed by the poorer In the second consulship of M. Licinius Crassus
citizens (sectatores), who could in no other manner and Cn. Pompeius Magnus (B.c. 55) the Lex
show their good will or give their assistance. (Cic. Licinia was passed. This lex, which is entitled
pro Maurena, c. 34.) The word assiduitas ex- De Sodalitiis, did not alter the previous laws
pressed both the continual presence of the candi- against bribery; but it was specially directed
date at Rome, and his continual solicitations. The against a particular mode of canvassing, which
candidate, in going his rounds or taking his walk, consisted in employing agents (sodales) to mark
was accompanied by a nomenclator, who gave him out the members of the several tribes into smaller
the names of such persons as he might meet; the portions, and to sectire more effectually the votes
candidate was thus enabled to address them by by this division of labour. This distribution of
their name, an indirect compliment which could the members of the tribes was called decuriatio.
not fail to be generally gratifying to the electors. (Cic. pro Plancio, c. 18.) It was an obvious mode
The candidate accompanied his address with a of better securing the votes; and in the main is
shake of the hand (prensatio). The term benigni- rightly explained by Rein, but completely mistas comprehended generally any kind of treating, understood by WTunder and others. Drumann
as shows, feasts, &c. Candidates sometimes left (Geschichte Roms, vol. iv. p. 93) confounds the deRome, and visited the coloniae and municipia, in curiatio with the coitio or coalition of candidates to
which the citizens had the suffrage; thus Cicero procure votes. The mode of appointing the judices
proposed to visit the Cisalpine towns, when he was in trials under the Lex Licinia was also provided
a candidate for the consulship. (Cic. ad Att. i. 1,) by that lex. They were called Judices Editicii,
That amnbitus, which was the object of several because the accuser or prosecutor nominated four
penal enactments, taken as a generic term, compre- tribes, and the accused was at liberty to reject one
hended the two species, —ambitus and largitiones of them. The jumdices were taken out of the other
(bribery). Liberalitas and benignitas are opposed three tribes; but the mode in which they were
by Cicero, as things allowable, to ambitus and taken is not quiite clear. The penalty under the
claritio, as things illegal. (Cic. de Orat. ii. 25; Lex Licinia was exile, but for what period is
and compare pro lAurena, c. 36.) The word for uncertain. The Lex Pompeia (B. C. 52), passed
amabitus in the Greek writers is deccaoeys. Money when Pompeius was sole consul for part of that
was paid for votes; and in order to insure secrecy year, appears to have been rather a measure passed
and secure the elector, persons called interpretes for the occasion of the trials then had and conwere employed to make the bargain, seqzestres to templated than any thing else. It provided for
hold the money till it was to be paid (Cic. pro the mode of naming the judices, and shortened the
Clzoent. 26), and divisores to distribute it. (Cic. proceedings. When C.Julius Caesar obtained the
ad Att. i. 16.) The offence of ambitus was a supreme power in Rome, he used to recommend
matter which belonged to the judicla publica, amid some of the candidates to the people, who, of
the enactments against it were numerous. The course, followed his recommendation. As to the
earliest enactment that is mentioned simply for- consulship, he managed the appointments to that
bade persons " to add white to their dress,y with office just as he pleased. (Siuet. Caes. c. 41.) The
a view to an election. (B.c. 432; Liv. iv. 25.) Lex Julia de Ambitu was passed (i. c. 18) in
This seems to mean using some white sign or the time of Augustus, and it excluded from office
token on the dress, to signify that a man was a for five years (Dion Cass. liv. 16; Suet. Oct. 34)
candidate. The object of the law was to check those who were convicted of bribery. But as the
ambitio, the name for going about to canvassj in penalty was milder than those under the former
place of which ambitus was subsequently employed. laws, we must conclude that they were repealed