[War & Business] The Patience of Fabius

The statue of Pavius Maximus located at Sch?nbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
[Image source=Sch?nbrunn Palace Museum website, Austria]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The term "Fabian strategy" refers to a war of attrition that avoids direct confrontation with a powerful enemy and instead focuses on thorough defense and blockade operations to exhaust the enemy's military strength. The name "Fabian" originates from the Roman general Fabius Maximus, a distinguished commander who saved the ancient Roman state from a dire crisis.

General Fabius was the supreme commander of the Roman army during the Second Punic War in 218 BC, when Hannibal, the renowned Carthaginian general and Rome's formidable adversary, brought Rome to the brink of destruction. While Hannibal repeatedly defeated Roman forces and gained momentum, General Fabius consistently adhered to a strategy of blockade. His approach was to focus solely on defense within the city walls whenever Hannibal's forces advanced, shutting down all roads and ports that could serve as supply routes for the enemy, and ordering all farms and shops outside the city to close.

His stringent blockade measures were a tactic aimed at starving Hannibal's forces, which could not be defeated in open battle, but this operation also demanded tremendous sacrifices from Roman citizens. The Romans had to watch helplessly as their farms and shops outside the city were vulnerable to Hannibal's troops. As the blockade prolonged and economic hardship intensified, public dissatisfaction surged. The Romans gave Fabius the nickname "Concretor," meaning a slow and incompetent person.

Hannibal, understanding the sentiment of the Roman people, devised a plan to leave Fabius's farms outside the city untouched. He also sent spies to spread rumors that Fabius was colluding with Carthage, which further inflamed public discontent. Ultimately, the Roman Senate dismissed him from his position as supreme commander after just one year.

Subsequently, the Roman army, now controlled by hawkish generals, engaged Hannibal in a decisive battle at Cannae in 217 BC. The Roman forces suffered a near-total defeat, placing Rome on the brink of collapse. In response, the Roman Senate reinstated General Fabius as supreme commander and entrusted him with Rome's fate. Upon his return, Fabius personally comforted the defeated generals who had replaced him and steadfastly continued his blockade strategy for 13 years.

After 13 years, Hannibal's expeditionary force in Italy had dwindled to less than half its original size and was on the verge of collapse. General Fabius finally issued a counterattack order. The Roman army, led by General Scipio, successfully attacked Carthage itself, annihilating Hannibal's forces and ending the war with a Roman victory.

General Fabius died of overwork one week after Hannibal withdrew from Rome. Consequently, the meaning of the derogatory nickname "Concretor," previously used by Roman citizens, changed. It came to signify a statesman's patience who endures any criticism like a concrete brick for the sake of national interest, leaving an important lesson for future generations.