Clan Fabius by Jeremiah McCall

Author:Jeremiah McCall [Jeremiah McCall]
Language: eng
Format: epub

‘Misfortune has not overtaken rashness more quickly than I feared. Though made equal to Fabius in authority, [Minucius] finds Hannibal his superior, both in courage and in fortune. But another time will do for upbraiding and resentment; for the present, march out from your trenches, and let us wrest from the enemy his victory and from our fellow citizens a confession of their blunder.’⁶⁹

Plutarch attributes similar words to the dictator. Neither was in a position to know what was said. Still, they surely could read the situation as easily as we. Minucius had blundered, and Hannibal exploited the opportunity. But the image passed down over the centuries of Fabius Maximus Cunctator, ‘the delayer’, would not allow for a moment of sour grapes. Still, whether he raged or remained a paragon of placidity, there was nothing practical for Fabius’ force to do but try to rescue the trapped legions. Fabius’ army reached the legions just in time, coming up from the rear and drawing their defeated comrades through their ranks to safety.⁷⁰ Now faced with an organized force of fresh troops, Hannibal declined further engagement. He kept a garrison force on the hill just won and withdrew most of his troops to their camp by Gereonium.

Meanwhile, the Roman forces and commanders reconciled. There were likely harsh sentiments harboured by both commanders, and certainly the ancients recognized this as well. Polybius noted, ‘To those who were actually present at the action, it was evident that all was lost by the rashness of Minucius, and that now, as on previous occasions, all had been saved by the caution of Fabius.’ Livy develops this moral into an entire scene. First Minucius gulped down some crow, telling his army:

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