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In ancient Roman law, ''ambitus'' was a crime of political corruption, mainly a candidate's attempt to influence the outcome of an election through bribery or other forms of soft power. The Latin word ''ambitus'' is the origin of the English word "ambition," which is another of its original meanings; ''ambitus'' was the process of "going around and commending oneself or one's protégés to the people," an activity liable to unethical excesses.〔Fergus Millar, ''The Crowd in Rome in the Late Republic'' (University of Michigan Press, 1998, reprinted 2005), p. 216 (online. ) The Latin word derives from ''ambi-'', "both, around," and a substantive form of the verb ''ire'', "to go."〕 In practice, bringing a charge of ''ambitus'' against a public figure became a favored tactic for undermining a political opponent. The ''Lex Baebia'' was the first law criminalizing electoral bribery, instituted by M. Baebius Tamphilus during his consulship in 181 BC. The passage of Rome's first sumptuary law the previous year suggests that the two forms of legislation are related; both were aimed at curbing wealth-based inequities of power and status within the governing classes.〔William Vernon Harris, ''War and Imperialism in Republican Rome, 327–70 B.C.'' (Oxford University Press, 1979, 1985), p. 89, note 3 ( online. )〕 The temptation to indulge in bribery indicates that the traditional patron-client relationship was insufficient to gather enough votes to win election.〔Fergus Millar, "The Political Character of the Classical Roman Republic, 200–151 B.C.," ''Journal of Roman Studies'' 74 (1984), pp. 10 (especially note 36) and 11.〕 The word ''ambitus'' for electoral corruption is a general term for the crime; defendants would have been charged under a specific statute (''lex'').〔Michael C. Alexander, ''Trials in the Late Roman Republic, 149 BC to 50 BC'' (University of Toronto Press, 1990), pp. xi–xii.〕 The 2nd-century BC Greek historian Polybius, a major source on the workings of the Roman constitution, makes the extravagant assertion that while Carthaginians acquire public office by openly offering gifts, the penalty at Rome for doing so is death.〔Polybius 6.56.4.〕 The point is perhaps that ''ambitus'' could be construed as treason under some circumstances.〔Richard Alexander Bauman, "The ''Leges iudiciorum publicorum'' and Their Interpretation in the Republic, Principate, and Later Empire," '' Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt'' II (de Gruyter, 1980), p. 125 (online. )〕 The rhetorical tactics of Cicero's speeches demonstrate how an initial charge of ''ambitus'', under whatever statute, might devolve into an occasion for impugning or humiliating a public figure. Popularist politicians were particularly vulnerable to charges of currying favor with the masses, and ''ambitus'' might be alleged when a man of lower social rank defeated his superior in an election: "The defeat of a candidate boasting ''nobilitas'' by another not in possession of such standing appears to have been sufficient grounds for initiating a charge of ''ambitus''."〔James M. May, ''Trials of Character: The Eloquence of Ciceronian Ethos'' (University of North Carolina Press, 1988), n.p. (online ) ''et (passim, )'' particularly commentary on the speech ''Pro Murena''. See also Millar, ''The Crowd in Rome in the Late Republic'', p. 99.〕 During the Imperial era, the ambitious politician yielded of necessity to the bureaucrat in the holding of Roman magistracies. The Stoic philosopher Epictetus (1st–2nd centuries AD) recoiled from the rough-and-tumble of electoral politics and ''ambitus'': Bribery of a person already holding office was covered by laws ''de repetundae''; provincial governors were particularly susceptible to such charges.〔P.A. Brunt, "Charges of Provincial Maladministration undery the Early Principate," ''Historia'' 10 (1961) 189–227.〕 ==Terminology== 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 (''candidus'') 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, such as shows or feasts. Candidates sometimes left Rome and visited the ''coloniae'' and ''municipia'', in which the citizens had the suffrage; thus Cicero proposed to visit the Cisalpine towns, when he was a candidate for the consulship. That ''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. The word for ''ambitus'' in the Greek writers is δεκασμός (''dekasmos''). Money was paid for votes; and in order to ensure secrecy and secure the elector, persons called ''interpretes'' were employed to make the bargain, ''sequestres'' to hold the money until 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. The earliest enactment that is mentioned simply forbade persons "to add white to their dress", with a view to an election (432 BC). This seems to mean using some white sign or token on the dress, to signify that a man was a candidate. The object of the law was to check ''ambitio'', the name for going about to canvass, in place of which ''ambitus'' was subsequently employed. Still the practice of using a white dress on occasion of canvassing was usual, and appears to have given origin to the application of the term ''candidatus'' to one who was a ''petitor''. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ambitus」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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