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Plutarch · c. AD 46-after 119

Life of Fabius Maximus

Φάβιος Μάξιμος
Ancient Sources / Plutarch / Life of Fabius Maximus

Plutarch's Life of Fabius Maximus follows the Roman general who, as dictator, wore down Hannibal's army by avoiding pitched battle, through the disasters at Lake Thrasymené (Trasimene) and Cannae to the recovery of Tarentum and his opposition to Scipio. It opens with the claim that the Fabii descend from Heracles (Hercules) and a nymph or local woman, and it records omens, vows and the consulting of the Sibylline books. It is paired with the Life of Pericles, and the Comparison of the two follows.

Read from the start
Text
Greek original with English translation, 13 passages, about 12500 words in English.
Translator
Bernadotte Perrin (1916)
Edition
Bernadotte Perrin (ed. and trans.), Plutarch's Lives, vol. 3, Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, 1916 (Greek text as digitised by Perseus)
Cite as
Plutarch, Life of Fabius Maximus 1.1 (by chapter, section; Comparison: comp, chapter, section)

Contents · 13 passages

  1. 1.1–2.5Fabius Maximus: descent from Heracles, his calm character and the omens of Hannibal's invasion799 words
  2. 3.1–4.5Flaminius dies at Lake Thrasymené (Trasimene) and Fabius is named dictator958 words
  3. 5.1–6Fabius delays battle with Hannibal and is mocked by Minucius626 words
  4. 6.1–7.5Hannibal escapes at Casilinum with torches on the horns of cattle1150 words
  5. 8.1–10.5Minucius wins equal command with Fabius1033 words
  6. 11.1–13.5Hannibal's ambush, Fabius saves Minucius and is hailed as Father1202 words
  7. 14.1–16.8Varro, Paulus and the disaster at Cannae1352 words
  8. 17.1–18.5After Cannae: Fabius steadies Rome735 words
  9. 19.1–20.6Fabius the buckler and Marcellus the sword; the forged letters of Metapontum1012 words
  10. 21.1–23.3Fabius recovers Tarentum and is taunted by Marcus Livius1071 words
  11. 24.1–4Fabius and his son the consul403 words
  12. 25.1–27.2Fabius opposes Scipio's invasion of Africa and dies1076 words
  13. comp.1.1–comp.3.5Comparison of Pericles and Fabius Maximus1066 words

More by Plutarch

English translation by Bernadotte Perrin (1916). Original text: Bernadotte Perrin (ed. and trans.), Plutarch's Lives, vol. 3, Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, 1916 (Greek text as digitised by Perseus).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.