The nature of ambassadors

[Jungly]

My MC begins the story being sent as an ambassador to another land to start diplomatic relations that have not hitherto existed. The time period is roughly that of the ancient world but I have no specific bases for each of my societies. The land the ambassador is arriving in has a democratically elected parliament, which only the nobility can vote for or hold office in and a monarch so something like England.
My questions are.
Why would an ambassador be sent?
How would the ambassador travel with his own retinue, or with with merchants?
Who would be sent to welcome the ambassador?
Would the state accommodate the ambassador or not?
How are ambassadors paid? the state they represent can hardly send the money across on a two month ship voyage can they?
what powers does an ambassador have to negotiate and control international policy?

 

[A. E. Lowan]

A lot is going to depend on the needs of your plot, but I can give you a rough run down based on generalities.

Ambassadors would be sent for a variety of reasons - to open trade relations, open diplomatic relations, make political/military demands of the host government, make threats, make overtures of marriage alliances, etc. In addition, most ambassadors collected information about their hosts, and were known to both spy openly and covertly. Depending on their personal ambitions, they could be bribed into being double agents.

Depending on the ambassador's personal wealth and the wealth of his government, his retinue could vary, but he was the representative of his government - he/she did not travel with merchants, they traveled with him/her if he/she went as part of a trade mission. Included in the ambassador's retinue was often their family, but sometimes not.

Ambassadors would be welcomed according to how much honor the host government wished to accord them - the higher prestige their visit merited, the mightier their greeter, up to and including the ruler, if called for.

The state would usually accommodate the ambassador - when you have an open spy in your midst, you want to keep a close eye on them.

Ambassadors were paid by their home governments, and no, it was not twice a month. Pay depended on the government, but it would not be unexpected to be a yearly stipend. If the ambassador was a spendthrift, this could leave them open to accepting bribes.

Ambassadors were given as much power as their home governments wished them to have. They could negotiate treaties and steer international policy, or they could simply be pretty-talking information gathering machines that had to seek permission for each and every move.

Hope this helps!

 

[CupofJoe]

AE Lowan has said about everything I was thinking of...
About the only things I would add are...
It was [and is] not unknown for ambassadors who know they are going home fairly soon to run up huge debts. Historically ambassadors have often had some level of immunity from local laws [sometimes more, sometimes less] and would have private accommodation [official or not] far away from their host's prying eyes...

 

[Jungly]

Thank you that will be very helpful.

 

[Jungly]

A couple more questions.
How would the two countries involved decide an ambassador should be sent? Would they arrange before via messages carried by traders and explores or would the ambassador just arrive one day and ask for an audience with the king?
Who might form the retinue of an ambassador?
What would trade agreement involve? (Bargaining import taxes, keeping roads and seas safe for merchants?)
What exactly is the job description. Drafting bills, attending social gatherings?
Who deals with a ambassador in a democracy? Does the congress elect a representative to speak with the ambassador or does the ambassador propose a bill to the whole assembled congress who then discuss the mater and vote on it or do they meet with individual congressmen/women and try and influence the way they will vote on various bills of foreign trade?

 

[Malik]

These days, it's a job that heads of state give as a favor to people who helped them get into power. In developing nations, you see a lot of second-sons and in-laws and cousins getting the gig. Ambassadors convey messages between the people who really matter, and in modern times, they often remain abroad as a representative of one government among another. Historically, they are intermediaries carrying the news - sometimes bad news - so that the real power players can save face. They go to a lot of dinners and social occasions and are well-versed in the customs and traditions of the country they're assigned to. At home, they're the subject matter expert to their employer, explaining nuances of the country that they're assigned to.

Historically, travel was dangerous and a pain in the ass, so ambassadors went in place of officials who didn't want the risk and hassle.

In fantasy, the job is completely nebulous. It can be whatever you want it to be. Similarly, his retinue could be anything from an armed detail to a bunch of toadies who all secretly want his job.

Trade agreements can involve anything. You'll need to learn the basics of trade; we can't teach economics to you here. (I could, but you'd have to pay me and I don't think you want that. )

Ambassadors usually deal directly with heads of state, but you'll need to build a government for your world from the ground up, so if you want an elected or appointed "Lord High Receiver" or somesuch whose entire gig is to wine and dine ambassadors and carry messages back and forth, go for it.

It's your world. Make it happen.

 

[skip.knox]

As others have said, much depends on your world. In the historical world, ambassadors in the modern sense developed during the Renaissance, but the need to have a representative resident in a foreign land with power to act on behalf of their government is a need that has existed as long as there have been governments. If "ambassador" doesn't seem to fit the bill, you can go with "legate" -- we get the word delegation from it.

The difference, very broadly, is that an ambassador has a general brief to be in a foreign capital or court for a fixed period of time. A legate typically was sent to transact some specific piece of business, such as to negotiate a treaty, with no power to act outside of that.