How did Quintus Fabius Maximus Cunctator try to weaken Hannibal’s army?

To weaken the army of Hannibal, the Roman dictator Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus employed a strategy of attrition, famously known as the Fabian strategy. Recognizing that Hannibal’s forces were superior in direct engagement, Fabius focused on the following tactics:

• Avoiding Direct Battle: He consistently refused to engage Hannibal in open combat, preferring to maneuver among hills where Hannibal’s powerful cavalry was ineffective.1
• Cutting Off Supplies: Fabius actively worked to disrupt Hannibal’s supply lines, making it difficult for the Carthaginian army to sustain itself in the field.1
• Harassment: He regularly harassed Hannibal’s raiding parties, wearing down the enemy through constant, low-level conflict rather than a single decisive clash.1

By maintaining this cautious, delaying approach, Fabius aimed to exhaust Hannibal’s resources and manpower over time, providing Rome with the necessary breathing room to recover its military strength during the Second Punic War.1