Lex Baebia was one of many laws enacted during the Roman Republic

Roman Republic

The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...

 to combat ambitus

Ambitus

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...

(bribery or corruption) in the electoral process.

There is some confusion over the exact nature of this law; whether it was indeed a single law or two. Lex Baebia de Praetoribus mandated the election of four and then six praetors on successive years. This law, however, was never observed. A second, Lex Baebia de Ambitu, involved combating electoral bribery. Both are related to each other in purpose. The laws were championed by the plebeian consul

Consul

Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...

 M. Baebius Tamphilus

Marcus Baebius Tamphilus

Marcus Baebius Tamphilus was a consul of the Roman Republic in 181 BC along with P. Cornelius Cethegus. Baebius is credited with reform legislation pertaining to campaigns for political offices and electoral bribery...

 in 181 BC

181 BC

Year 181 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cethegus and Tamphilus...

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