How did the Roman general Fabius Cunctator inspire the name Fabian Society?

The Fabian Society derives its name from the Roman general Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, who was nicknamed "Cunctator," or "the delayer".12

The society’s founders and prominent members, including Sidney and Beatrice Webb, admired the general's patient and elusive military tactics during the Second Punic War. By avoiding direct, pitched battles and instead employing a strategy of gradual attrition, Fabius successfully wore down his stronger opponent, Hannibal.123

The Fabian Society adopted this philosophy as a metaphor for their political goals. Rather than pursuing radical or violent revolution, the Fabians advocated for "gradualism"—the belief that a democratic socialist state could be achieved through patient, incremental reform, education, and the steady influence of socialist ideas within existing political structures.12