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Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus (c. 275 BC-203
BC), called Cunctator (the Delayer;), was a Roman
politician and soldier, born in Rome around 275 BC
and died in Rome in 203 BC. He was consul five
times (233 BC, 228 BC, 215 BC, 214 BC and 208 BC)
and was twice Roman dictator|dictator, 221
BC|221?–219 BC, and 217 BC. His nickname
Cunctator (akin to the English language|English
noun cunctation) means "delayer" in Latin, and
refers to his tactics in deploying the troops
during the Second Punic War. His cognomen
Verrucosus means warty.

Descended from a very ancient patrician family, he
probably participated in the First Punic War,
although no details of his role are known. After
the end of the war he rapidly advanced his
political career. He served twice as consul and
censor and in 218 BC he took part in the embassy
to Carthage. It was Fabius who formally declared
war on the city after the capture of Sagonte by
Hannibal. The Roman Senate|Senate named him
dictator in 217 BC after the disaster at the
Battle of Lake Trasimene in June of that year;
this was unusual, as dictators were usually
elected by the consuls. 

Fabius was well-aware of the military superiority
of the Carthaginians, and when Hannibal invaded
Italy he refused to meet him in a pitched battle.
Instead he kept his troops close to Hannibal,
hoping to exhaust him in a long war of attrition.
Fabius was able to harass the Carthaginian
foraging parties, limiting Hannibal's ability to
wreak destruction while conserving his own
military force.

The Romans were unimpressed with this defensive
strategy and at first gave Fabius his nickname as
an insult. The strategy was in part ruined because
of a lack of unity in the command of the Roman
army: the magister equitum, Minucius, was a
political enemy of Fabius. It was only after
Fabius had saved him from an attack by Hannibal
that Minucius placed himself under Fabius'
command. Minucius had been name a co-commander of
the Roman forces by Fabuis' detractors in the
Senate.  Minucius openly claimed that Fabius was
cowardly because he failed to confront the
Carthaginian forces.  Near the present-day town of
Larino in the Molise (then called Larinum)Hannibal
had taken up a position in a town called Gerione. 
In the valley between Larino and Gerione Minucius
decided to make a broad frontal attack on
Hannibal's troops.  Several thousand men were
involved on either side.  It appeared that the
Roman troops were winning but Hannibal had set a
trap.  Soon the Roman troops were being
slaughtered.  Fabius, despite Minucius' earlier
arrogance, rushed to his co-commander's assistance
and Hannibal's forces immediately retreated. 
After the battle there was some feeling that there
would be conflict between Minucius and Fabius. 
However, the younger soldier marched his men to
Fabius' encampment and he is reported to have
said, "My father gave me life.  Today you saved my
life. You are my second father. I recognize your
superior abilities as a commander."

At the end of Fabius' dictatorship, the command
was given back to the consuls Gnaeus Servilius
Geminus and Marcus Atilius Regulus and in the
following year (216 BC) to the consuls Lucius
Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro. After
Paullus and Varro were defeated at the battle of
Cannae that year, the wisdom of Fabius' tactic was
understood and Cunctator became an honorific
title. This tactic was followed for the rest of
the war, as long as Hannibal remained in Italy. 

Fabius' own military success was small, aside from
the reconquest of Tarentum in 209 BC. He was named
consul twice more after serving as dictator.
However, he opposed the young and ambitious Scipio
Africanus, who wanted to carry the war to Africa. 

Later, he became a legendary figure and the model
of a tough, courageous Roman. According to Ennius,
unus homo nobis cunctando restituit rem – one
man, by delaying, has restored the state to us.

His cautiousness gave rise to the noun phrase
"Fabian strategy."

==See also==
* Fabian Society, an active group in the politics
of Great Britain at the end of the 19th century.

== External link ==
* http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/fabius.html
Fabius, by Plutarch

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Fabius Maximus was also the name of a close friend
of Augustus Caesar cited by Tacitus, who in 13 AD
may have been murdered after a supposed visit with
the emperor to the island of Pianosa|Planasia to
see Postumus Agrippa.