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Fabius sat and watched this fruitless rage from a lofty mountain-top;
by refusing battle he tamed their proud hearts, and wore out their
baffled boasting by masterly delay.
Duff, 1996, 345.
In this representation it is not Minucius who expresses frustration at Roman inactivity,
but Hannibal who becomes angry and frustrated because he cannot induce the Romans
to fight (Pun. 7.116-126; 146-156; 212-4).
Silius Italicus, like Livy, also favours representing Fabius and Hannibal
understanding each other‟s tactics and each doing his best to outwit the other (Pun.
7.131-53; 260; 268; Livy, 22.16.5. Cf. Plutarch, Fab. Max. 5-6). As argued by Marks,
part of the focus of Punica 7 is to demonstrate the superiority of Fabian caution and
delay over daring and impetuous action as well as the superiority of age over youth. 323
Fabius‟ patience pays off in the Punica, as it does in Appian‟s version (Appian,
Hann. 7.14). Hannibal makes a mistake, not because of confused Latin but because he
did not know the area, consequently he took a wrong turn and is „almost trapped‟ by
Fabius:
donec reptanten, nequiquam saepe trahendo
huc illuc castra ac scrutantem proelia Poenum,
qua nemorosa iuga et scopulosi vertice colles
exsurgunt, clausit sparsa ad divortia turma.
133
Pun. 7.272-5
At last, as Hannibal crept about, shifting his camp without result and
spying out any chance of battle, Fabius posted cavalry where crossroads
met and shut him in, where there were wooded heights and steep
rising cliffs.
Duff, 1996.357
The texts differ in some of the details about how Hannibal organised the escape for
himself and his army, and these are related to the intended depiction of Hannibal.
According to Polybius, Hannibal plans and organises the escape during the previous
day, discussing his idea with Hasdrubal, ordering the servants to gather and prepare the
dry wood. Under cover of darkness, the faggots are tied to the horns of two thousand
oxen. The servants are ordered to set the faggots alight and drive the cattle up the
hillside toward the pass; they are accompanied by a contingent of soldiers whose orders
are to take control of the ridge (Hist. 3.92.4-10). Appian adds that the soldiers were the
bravest of Hannibal‟s young men (Appian, Hann. 14). The lasting sense from Polybius‟
323 Marks, 2005, 23-27. Cf. Roller, 2009, 169 that Hannibal created a military and ethical crisis at Rome,
forcing Q. Fabius Maximus Cunctator to innovate.