Fabius Maximus's Roman Strategy

In a state of near panic, the roman republic resorted to the anient tradition of appointing a dictator to lead them through the crisis. Their new leader, fabius maximus, quickly built up the city's walls and enlarged the roman army. Then watched perplexed as hannibal bipassed rome and headed south into apulia,. The most fertile part of italy, and began to devastate the countryside. But many romans saw fabius strategy as disgraceful and unmanly. And by the following year, fabius was out of power.