Marcus Baebius Tamphilus in the context of "Deportation"

In ancient Roman law, ambitus was a crime of political corruption, mainly a candidate's attempt to influence the outcome (or direction) 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. 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. The temptation to indulge in bribery indicates that the traditional patron-client relationship was insufficient to gather enough votes to win election.

Lex Baebia was one of many laws enacted during the Roman Republic to combat ambitus (bribery or corruption) in the electoral process.

There is some confusion over the exact nature of this law, namely whether it was indeed a single law or two. Lex Baebia de praetoribus mandated the election of four and then six praetors in successive years. This law, however, was never observed. A second, Lex Baebia de ambitu, involved combating electoral bribery. Both laws had a similar purpose. The laws were championed by the plebeian consul Marcus Baebius Tamphilus in 181 BC.

Publius Cornelius Cethegus was a Roman senator and military commander.

Cethegus was elected as curule aedile in 187 BC, then served as praetor in 185 BC, and finally became consul in 181 BC. During his consulship, the tomb of the legendary Roman king Numa Pompilius was unearthed. Cethegus and his colleague Marcus Baebius Tamphilus were granted a triumph over the Ligurians, despite the absence of an actual battle. In 173 BC, Cethegus was appointed as one of ten commissioners responsible for the division of Ligurian and Gallic territories in Italy.