20. The Underappreciated Dictator Who Rescued Rome
Roman dictator Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus (circa 280 – 203 BC) was underappreciated by his contemporaries. That, despite the fact that he saved them from ruin, and saved Rome from extinction. Fabius was a statesman and general whose cautious delaying tactics and strategies early in the Second Punic War (218 – 201 BC) against the Carthaginian general Hannibal earned him the nickname Cunctator, or “the Delayer”. Fabius’ delaying tactics saved a Rome reeling from a string of humiliating defeats, and gave it time to recover its equilibrium and gird itself for a difficult and long war.
However, Fabius delaying methods were derided by more hot-headed Romans, who wanted to come to grips with Hannibal and destroy him in battle as soon as possible. The problem was that Hannibal was one of history’s greatest generals, and Rome at the time had none who were his equals. Each time they came to grips with the Carthaginian general and offered him battle, it was the Roman army, and not Hannibal’s, that was destroyed.
