The Old Warrior Who Saved Ancient Rome
Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus (circa 280 – 203 BC) was a Roman statesman and general. He became famous for his cautious tactics and strategies against the Carthaginian general Hannibal. They earned Fabius the nickname Cunctator (the Delayer), saved Rome after a series of massive defeats, and gave it time to recover and gird itself for a difficult war. Hannibal had led an army into Italy at the start of the Second Punic War (218 – 201 BC), dealt Rome major defeats, and threatened its hold on Italy, as Rome’s allies joined him or declared neutrality.
At the time, Fabius was an old man in his sixties – over the hill back then. He had been elected Consul in 233 and 228 BC, as well as Censor – a highly prestigious position – in 230 BC. Faced with a dire emergency, the Romans appointed him dictator for six months. He realized that Rome had no general at the time, not even himself, who was Hannibal’s equal as a battlefield commander. So he adopted an attrition strategy that came to be known as “Fabian”. He shadowed the Carthaginian, and refused to fight pitched battles. He gradually whittled the enemy’s strength with scorched earth tactics, coupled with attacks against his supplies and isolated detachments.
