Legal Definitions - ambactus

Ambactus is a historical term that refers to one of two distinct roles:

• A messenger, someone dispatched to deliver communications or carry out specific instructions.
• A servant whose labor or specialized skills were temporarily hired out by their master to another individual or entity.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of an ambactus:

• Example 1 (Messenger): During ancient times, a Roman general might send a trusted individual with a sealed scroll containing vital battle plans to a distant legion commander. This individual, responsible for the safe and timely delivery of the official message across potentially dangerous territory, would be considered an ambactus in their capacity as a messenger. This illustrates the role of someone specifically tasked with conveying critical information on behalf of their superior.
• Example 2 (Hired Servant): Consider a medieval lord who employs a skilled blacksmith within his household. If the lord agrees to temporarily provide the blacksmith's services to a neighboring village for a fee, allowing the villagers to repair their farming tools and forge new implements, the blacksmith would function as an ambactus. In this scenario, the blacksmith's master (the lord) is hiring out his servant's specialized labor to another party, demonstrating the concept of a servant whose services are contracted out.