A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

MAXIMUS, MAXIMUS. 993
larities. (Macrob. Sat. ii. 9; comp. Juv. Sat. vi. reparation for. the attack on'Saguntum.'In as c.
267, xi. 40.) In B.C. 295 Fabius was curule 217, immediately after the defeat at Thrasymenus,
aedile, and fined certain matrons of noble birth for Fabius was appointed dictator, or rather, since no
their disorderly life; and with the produce of the consul was at hand to nominate him, pro-dictator.
fines built a temple to Venus near the Circus Max- From this period, so long as the war with }Ianni
inmus. (Liv. x. 31; Victor. Region. xi.) He was hal was merely defensive, Fabius became the leadconsul in B. C. 292, and was completely defeated ing man at Rome. His military talents were not
by the Pentrian Samnites. The adversaries of the perhaps of the highest order, but he understood
Fabian house, the Papirian and Appian parties, beyond all his contemporaries the nature of the
took advantage of this defeat to exasperate the struggle, the genius of Hannibal, and the disposipeople against Fabius, and he escaped degradation tion of his own countrymen. Cicero says truly of
from the consulate only through his father's offer Fabius (Rep. i. 1), bellumr Punicum secundu7n enerto serve as his lieutenant for the remainder of the vavit, a lore appropriate eulogy than that of
war. Victory returned with the elder Fabius to Ennius, qui cunctando restituit riem, since Marcellus
the Roman arms. In a second battle the consul and Scipio restored the republic to its military
retrieved his reputation, stormed several Samnite eminence, whereas Fabius made it capable of restotowns, and was rewarded with a triumph of which ration. His first act as dictator.was to calm and
the most remarkable feature was old Fabius riding corroborate the minds of the Romans by solemn
beside his son's chariot. (Plut. Fab. 24; Dionys. sacrifice and supplication to the gods; his next to
xvi. 1.5; Oros. iii. 22; Eutrop. ii. 9.) For his render Latium and the. neighbouring districts unsuccess in this campaign Fabius dedicated a shrine tenable by the enemy. On taking the field he laid
to Venus.obseqztens, because the goddess had been down a simple and immutable plan of action. He
obsequious to his prayers. (Serv. ad Aen. i. 720.) avoided all direct encounter with the enemy; moved
In B. c. 291 Fabius remained as proconsul in Sam- his camp from highland to highland, where the
nium. He was besieging Cominium when the Numidian horse and Spanish infantry could not folconsul, L. Postumius Megellus, arbitrarily and low him; watched Hannibal's movements with unviolently drove him from the army and the province. relaxing vigilance, cut off his stragglers and foragers,
(Dionys. xvi. 16.) The Fasti ascribe a triumph to and compelled him to weary his allies by necessary
Fabius for his proconsulate. He was consul for the exactions, and to dishearten his soldiers by fi;uitless
second time in B. C. 276, when he obtained a tri- manoeuvres. His enclosure of Hannibal in one of
umph de Samnitibus Liwaneis et Bruttiis (Fasti). the upland valleys between Cales and the VulturShortly afterwards he went as legatus from the fus, and the Carthaginian's adroit escape by drivsenate to Ptolemy Philadelphlus, king of Egypt. ing oxen with blazing faggots fixed to their horns
The presents which Fabius and his colleagues re- up the hill-sides, are well-known facts. But at
ceived from the Egyptian monarch they deposited Rome and in his own camp the caution of Fabius
in the public treasury on their return to Rome. was misinterpreted. He was even suspected of
But a decree of the senate directed that the ambas- wishing to prolong the war that he might retain
sadors should retain them. (Val. Max. iv. 3. ~ 10; the command; of cowardice, of incapability, and
comp. Dion Cass. Fr. 147; Liv. Epit. xiv.; Zonar. even of treachery, although he gave up the produce
viii. 6.) Fabius was slain in his third consul- of his estates to ransom Roman prisoners. Hanniship, while engaged in quelling some disturbances bal. alone appreciated the conduct of Fabius. But
at Vulsinii in Etruria. (Zonar. viii. 7; Flor. i. his own master of the horse, M. Minucius Rufus,
21; Obseq. 27; comp. Vict. Vi..111. 36.) Like headed the clamour against him, and the senate,
his father and grandfather, Fabius Gurges *was incensed by the ravage of their Campanian estates/
princeps senatus. (Plin. H. N. vii. 41.) joined with the impatient commonalty in condemn3. Q. FABIUS (Q. F. Q. N. MAXIMUS?). From ing his dilatory policy. Minucius, during a brief
the date alone of the only recorded fact of his life absence of Fabius from, the camp, obtained some
(Val. Max. vi. 6. ~ 5), it is probable that he was slight advantage over Hannibal. A tribune of the
a son of the preceding, and father of Fabius the plebs, M. Metilius, brought forward a bill for diGreat Dictator in the second Punic war. Fabius viding the command equally between. the dictator
was aedile in B. c. 265, and, for an assault on its and the master of the horse, and the senate and
ambassadors, was sent in custody of a quaestor to the tribes passed it. Minucius was speedily enApollonia in Epeirus to be dealt with at pleasure. trapped, and would have been destroyed by HanThe Apolloniates, however, dismissed him unpun- nibal, had not Fabius generously hastened to his
ished.; (Liv. Epit. xv.; Dion Cass. Fri 43; rescue. Hannibal, on his retreat from Fabius, is
Zonar. viii.- 8.).. reported to have said, " I thought yon cloud would
4. Q. FABIUS Q. F. Q. N. MAXIMUS, with the one day break from the hills in a pelting stoim."
agnomens VERRUCosus, from a wart on his upper Minucius, who though rash was mnagnanimous, relip, OVICULA, or the Lamb, from the mildness or signed his command, but Fabius scrupulously laid
apathy of his temper (Plut. Fab. 1; comp. Varr. down his office at its legal expiration in six months4
R. R. ii. 1), and CUNCTATOR, from. his caution in bequeathing his example to the consuls who sucewar, grandson of Fabius Gurges, and, perhaps, son ceeded him. Aemilius copied, Varro disregarded
of the preceding, was consul for the first time in his injunctions, and the rout at Cannae illustrated
B. c. 233. Liguria was his province, and it af- the wisdom of Fabius' warning to Aemilius, —
forded him a triumph (Fasti) and a pretext for "Remember, you have to dread not only Hannibal
dedicating a temple to Honour. (Cic. de Nat. Deora but Varro." Fabius was, however, among the first
ii. 23.) He was censor in B.C. 230; consul a on Varro's return from Cannae to thank him for/
second time in 2'28; opposed the agrarian law of not having despaired of his country; and the deC. Flaminius in 227 [FLA.MINIUS, NO. 1]; was dic- fensive measures which the senate adopted in that.tator for holding, the comitia in 221, and in 218 season of dismay were dictated by: him. After the
legatus from the senate to Carthage, to demand winter of B.c. 216-215; the war gradually assumed
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