Tom Holland

And this strategy had been articulated the year before by the man who has been mandated by the Roman Republic to execute it.

So to quote him,

I shall draw Hannibal after me.

I shall force him to fight on his native soil, and the prize of victory will be not some run-down forts in Brutium, Carthage itself.

And the man who is speaking these words, he's only 30,

but he has already established himself as the greatest military hero in Rome's history.

And this is the young, long-haired, smoothly shaved Publius Cornelius Scipio.

Yes.

And regular listeners to this series will not be surprised that the guy who takes the lead in opposing this strategy is...

Fabius Maximus Conctator, the delayer, the guy who back in the wake of late Trasimene had been appointed dictator, so put in supreme control of the Roman state for six months.

And he had adopted this strategy of shadowing Hannibal, of never engaging him in battle, which then provided the template for Roman strategy in the wake of Cannae, and which is still being adopted.

in 204 BC.

He's now, I mean, unbelievably old.

He's about 130.

And he is a figure of enormous status.

So he has the official title, Princeps Sinatus.

He's the chief senator.

Fabius had directly accused Scipio in the debate about whether he should be given permission to invade Africa.

He accused Scipio of endangering Rome's security by leading an expedition to Africa while Hannibal was still current and present in Italy with his own army.

Fabius had directly accused Scipio essentially of glory hunting.