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ambĭtĭo, ōnis, f. [ambio], a going round.
- I. In the time of the republic, t. t. (v. ambio, II. B.), the going about of candidates for office in Rome, and the soliciting of individual citizens for their vote, a canvassing, suing for office (by just and lawful means; while ambitus denotes unlawful means, as bribery, threats, etc.): quid de nostris ambitionibus loquar? Cic. Tusc. 2, 26, 62: mea me ambitio ab omni illā cogitatione abstrahebat, id. Sull. 4: cum ambitionis nostrae tempora postulabant, id. Planc. 18, 45: si infinitus forensium rerum labor et ambitionis occupatio decursu honorum etiam aetatis flexu constitisset, id. de Or. 1, 1, 1: hic magistratus a populo summā ambitione contenditur, id. Verr. 2, 53, 131: tanta exarsit ambitio, ut primores civitatis prensarent homines, Liv. 3, 35, 1 et saep.
- II.
- A. In gen., a striving for one’s favor or good-will; an excessive desire to please, flattery, adulation: ambitione labi, Cic. Brut. 69, 244: sive aliquā suspitione sive ambitione adducti, id. Clu. 28, 76: in Scipione ambitio major, vita tristior, id. Off. 1, 30, 108 Heus., Beier, and Gernh.: Dionysius Platonem magnā ambitione Syracusas perduxit, in an ostentatious manner, for the purpose of securing his favor, Nep. Dion, 2, 2 Br. and Dähn.: ambitio (i.e. studium Fabiis placendi) obstabat, Liv. 5, 36: ambitione relegatā, without flattery, Hor. S. 1, 10, 84: ambitionem scriptoris facile averseris, obtrectatio et livor pronis auribus accipiuntur, Tac. H. 1, 1: nullo officii aut ambitionis genere omisso, i.e. nullis blanditiis, Suet. Oth. 4: coronas quam parcissime et sine ambitione tribuit, id. Aug. 25 et saep.
Hence, also partiality: jus sibi per ambitionem dictum non esse, Liv. 3, 47.
- B. With the predom. idea of the purpose or end, a desire for honor, popularity, power, display, etc.; in bon. part., ambition; in mal. part., vanity.
So in Lucr. of the ambitious efforts of men: Angustum per iter luctantes ambitionis, struggling to press through the narrow way of ambition, Lucr. 5, 1132: me ambitio quaedam ad honorum studium duxit, Cic. Att. 1, 17: Miserrima omnino est ambitio honorumque contentio, id. Off. 1, 25: a quo incepto studioque me ambitio mala detinuerat, Sall. C. 4, 2: aut ab avaritiā aut miserā ambitione laborat, Hor. S. 1, 4, 26: Vitā solutorum miserā ambitione gravique, id. ib. 1, 6, 129; so id. ib. 2, 3, 78; 2, 6, 18: inanis, id. Ep. 2, 2, 207: levis, Ov. F. 1, 103 al.: licet ipsa vitium sit ambitio, tamen frequenter causa virtutum est, Quint. 1, 2, 22: perversa, id. 10, 7, 20: funerum nulla ambitio, no display, pomp, Tac. G. 27.
- C. Great exertion: cum admitti magnā ambitione aegre obtinuisset, Just. 1, 3.
- D. That which surrounds (v. ambio, 2.; postclass. for ambitus): vimineos alveos circumdant ambitione tergorum bubulorum, with a wrapping of cowhide, Sol. 22: fuliginem ambitio extimae cutis cohibet, id. 35: ita assedimus, ut me ex tribus medium lateris ambitione protegerent, Min. Oct. 4.
ambĭtĭōsus, a, um, adj. [ambitio].
- I. (Very rare and mostly poet.) Going round, encompassing; poet., embracing, twining round: lascivis hederis ambitiosior, Hor. C. 1, 36, 20 (cf.: undique ambientibus ramis, Curt. 4, 7, 16).
Of a river, making circuits, having many windings: Jordanes amnis ambitiosus, Plin. 5, 15, 15, § 71.
Of oratorical ornament, excessive, superfluous: vir bonus ambitiosa recidet Ornamenta, Hor. A. P. 447.
- II. Transf.
- A. That asks for a thing fawningly; esp., that solicits the favor, good-will, etc., of any one, in a good and bad sense, honor-loving, ambitious, courting favor; vain, vainglorious, conceited, etc.: qui ita sit ambitiosus, ut omnes vos nosque cotidie persalutet, Cic. Fl. 18: homo minime ambitiosus, minime in rogando molestus, id. Fam. 13, 1: ne forte me in Graecos tam ambitiosum factum esse mirere, desirous of the favor of the Greeks, id. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 2: pro nostris ut sis ambitiosa malis, Ov P. 3, 1, 84: pro nato caerula mater Ambitiosa suo fuit, i.e. begs fawningly of Vulcan for weapons for her son, id. M. 13, 289: malis artibus ambitiosus, seeking to ingratiate one’s self, Tac. H. 2, 57: salubris magis princeps quam ambitiosus, Suet. Aug. 42 al.
- B. Pass., that is willingly solicited or entreated, ambitious; much sought, honored, admired: ambitiosus et qui ambit et qui ambitur, Gell. 9, 12: turba caelestes ambitiosa sumus, Ov. F. 5, 298: sexus muliebris saevus, ambitiosus, potestatis avidus, Tac. A. 3, 33: si locuples hostis est, avari; si pauper, ambitiosi, id. Agr. 30: nota quidem sed non ambitiosa domus, not sought after, Ov. Tr. 1, 9, 18 Jahn: ambitiosae pulchritudinis scortum. Just. 30, 2.
- C. Of things, vain, ostentatious: amicitiae, founded merely on the desire to please, interested, Cic. Att. 1, 18: rogationes, id. Fam. 6, 12; so id. ib. 6, 6: gloriandi genus, Quint. 11, 1, 22: preces, urgent, Tac. H. 2, 49: sententiae, Suet. Dom. 8: mors, ambitious, i. e. to obtain fame, Tac. Agr. 42: medicina ars, boastful, Plin. 29, 1, 8, § 20: et quaesitorum pelago terrāque ciborum Ambitiosa fames, Luc. 4, 376: atria, splendid, gorgeous, Mart. 12, 69: ambitiosis utilia praeferre, Quint. 1, 2, 27: ambitiosius id existimans quam domi suae majestas postularet, more condescending, submissive, Suet. Aug. 25.
- D. In rhet.: orator ambitiosus, who seeks to rouse attention by obsolete or unusual expressions: antigerio nemo nisi ambitiosus utetur, Quint. 8, 3, 26.
Hence, adv.: ambĭtĭōsē, ambitiously, ostentatiously, etc.: de triumpho ambitiose agere, Cic. Att. 15, 1: ambitiose regnum petere, Liv. 1, 35: amicitias ambitiose colere, Tac. H. 1, 10 al.
Comp., Cic. Fam. 3, 7.
Sup., Quint. 6, 3, 68.