The Old Man Who Saved Rome
Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus (circa 280 – 203 BC) was a Roman statesman and general who became famous for his cautious delaying tactics and strategies against the Carthaginian general Hannibal. Those tactics earned Fabius the nickname Cunctator, or “the Delayer”, saved Rome after a series of massive defeats, and gave it time to recover its equilibrium 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) and won crushing victories against Rome, threatening its hold on Italy, as allies joined Hannibal or declared neutrality.
Fabius by then was an old man in his sixties – quite over the hill by the day’s standards – and a respected senior statesman. 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 which came to be known as “Fabian”. He shadowed the Carthaginian, and refused to offer pitched battle. He gradually whittled the enemy’s strength with scorched earth tactics, coupled with attacks against his supplies and isolated detachments.