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.