One Marcus Livius had been in command of Tarentum when Hannibal obtained
possession of it. In spite of this, he held the citadel, from which he
could not be dislodged, until Tarentum was recaptured by the Romans.
This man was vexed at the honours paid to Fabius, and once, in a
transport of envy and vain glory, he said before the Senate that he, not
Fabius, was the real author of the recapture of the town. Fabius with a
smile answered: "Very true; for if you had not lost the place, I could
never have recaptured it."
XXIV. The Romans, among many other marks of respect for Fabius, elected
his son consul. When he had entered on this office and was making some
arrangements for the conduct of the war, his father, either because of
his age and infirmities or else intending to try his son, mounted on
horseback and rode towards him through the crowd of bystanders. The
young man seeing him at a distance would not endure this slight, but
sent a lictor to bid his father dismount and come on foot, if he wanted
anything of the consul. Those present were vexed at this order, and
looked on Fabius in silence, as if they thought that he was unworthily
treated, considering his great reputation: but he himself instantly
alighted, ran to his son, and embracing him, said: "You both think and
act rightly, my son; for you know whom you command, and how great an
office you hold. Thus it was that we and our ancestors made Rome great,
by thinking less of our parents and of our children than of the glory of
our country.
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