Fabius was not honoured by the Romans with a
funeral at the public expense, yet every citizen contributed the
smallest Roman coin towards the expenses, not that he needed the money,
but because they buried him as the father of the people, so that in his
death he received the honourable respect which he had deserved in his
life.
COMPARISON OF PERIKLES AND FABIUS MAXIMUS.
I. Such is the story of these men's lives. As they both gave many proofs
of ability in war and politics, let us first turn our attention to their
warlike exploits. And here we must notice that Perikles found the
Athenian people at the height of their power and prosperity, so that
from the flourishing condition of the State it could scarcely meet with
any great disaster, whereas Fabius performed his great services to Rome
when it was in the last extremity of danger, and did not merely, like
Perikles, confirm the prosperity of his country, but greatly improved
it, having found it in a lamentable condition. Moreover, the successes
of Kimon, the victories of Myronides and Leokrates, and the many
achievements of Tolmides rather gave Perikles when in chief command an
occasion for public rejoicing and festivity, than any opportunity for
either conquests abroad or defensive wars at home. Fabius, on the other
hand, had before his eyes the spectacle of many defeats and routs of
Roman armies, of many consuls and generals fallen in battle, of lakes,
plains and forests filled with the bodies of the slain, and of rivers
running with blood.
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