I.going about, hither and thither.
I. Lit.: “per ambiguum favorem gratiam victoris spectare,” i. e. in that they show equal friendliness to both sides, Liv. 21, 52: “ambiguus Proteus,” who sometimes takes one form, sometimes another, changeable, Ov. M. 2, 9: “ambiguus fuerit, modo vir, modo femina, Scython,” id. ib. 4, 280: “Inque virum soliti vultus mutare ferinos Ambigui prosecta lupi,” they sometimes assume the form of a wolf and sometimes that of a man, id. ib. 7, 271: “promisit Ambiguam Salamina, h. l. = alteram,” a second Salamis, Hor. C. 1, 7, 29. —
II. Transf.
A. Uncertain, doubtful (syn.: dubius, incertus): ambiguum est quod in ambas agi partes animo potest. Hujusmodi apud Graecos ἀμφίβολα dicuntur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 17 Müll.: “quidquid incerti mihi in animo prius aut ambiguom fuit, Nunc liquet, nunc defaecatum est,” Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 69: etiam si dudum fuerat ambiguom hoc mihi, * Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 26: “difficile et ambiguum,” Vulg. Deut. 17, 8: “haud ambiguus rex, i. e. sine dubio rex futurus,” Liv. 40, 8.—Subst.: ambĭgŭum , i, n., doubt, uncertainty: “in ambiguo est,” Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 193: “in ambiguo relinquere,” Lucr. 4, 1133: non habui ambiguum, Brut. ap. Cic. Fam. 11, 11: “servet in ambiguo Juppiter,” Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 28: “non sane alias magis in ambiguo Britannia fuit,” Tac. Agr. 5.—Also in acc. absol. in the Gr. manner: Ambiguum Clymene precibus Phaëthontis an irā Mota magis, it being uncertain whether, etc., Ov. M. 1, 765 (so, incertum, Tac. Agr. 7: “dubium,” id. A. 1, 5).—
B. Of discourse, obscure, dark, ambiguous: “scriptum,” Cic. Top. 25: “verba ambigua distinximus,” id. Or. 29, 102: “oracula,” id. Div. 2, 56: “responsa,” Suet. Tib. 24: “divinatio,” Vulg. Ezech. 12, 24.—Subst.: ambĭgŭum , i, n., an obscure, dark saying: “ambiguorum complura sunt genera,” Cic. de Or. 2, 26, 111; 2, 61, 250; Auct. ad Her. 1, 6; 1, 12 al.: “voces,” Verg. A. 2, 98.—
C. Trop., uncertain, wavering; not to be relied on, untrustworthy. —So of moral conduct: “esse ambiguā fide,” Liv. 6, 2: “puer acris ingenii sed ambigui,” Plin. Ep. 4, 2: “femina bonis atque honestis moribus, non ambiguā pudicitiā,” Gell. 3, 16: “per ambiguas vias,” Ov. H. 10, 62: “domum timet ambiguam Tyriosque bilinguis,” Verg. A 1, 661.—Of fortune, changing, fluctuating: ambiguarum rerum sciens, Tac. A. 1, 64.!*? In Tac. with gen.: “ambiguus imperandi,” irresolute, Tac. A. 1, 7: “pudoris ac metus,” wavering between shame and fear, id. ib. 2, 40: “futuri,” id. H. 3, 43.—Adv.: ambĭguē , doubtfully, ambiguously, Cic. de Or. 2, 26; id. N. D. 1, 31; Aur. Vict. 35: “pugnare,” with doubtful success, Tac. A. 2, 21 al.
