Yet with his mature and unbending intellect he
undertook to extricate Rome from these dangers, and as it were by his
own strength alone supported the State, so that it was not utterly
overwhelmed by these terrible disasters. Nevertheless it would appear
not to be so hard a task to manage a State in adversity, when it is
humble and is compelled by its misfortunes to obey wise counsellors, as
it is to check and bridle a people excited and arrogant with good
fortune, which was especially the case with Perikles and the Athenians.
On the other hand, considering the terrible nature of the blows which
had fallen on the Romans, Fabius must have been a great and
strong-minded man not to be disconcerted by them, but still to be able
to carry out the policy upon which he had determined.
II. We may set the capture of Samos by Perikles against the retaking of
Tarentum by Fabius, and also the conquest of Euboea by the one against
that of the Campanian cities by the other, though Capua itself was
recovered by the consuls, Fulvius and Appius. Fabius seems never to have
fought a pitched battle, except that one which gained him his first
triumph, while Perikles set up nine trophies for victories by sea and
land. But again, there is no action of Perikles which can be compared to
that of Fabius when he snatched away Minucius from the grasp of
Hannibal, and saved an entire Roman army from destruction.
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