I'm looking for a source for my dissertation, but cannot for the life of me find it. My supervisor suggested it, but can't remember where exactly it was either. All I know it was a Pliny (I don't know if it was Elder or Younger), and that it was about a Roman soldier who continued to join battle despite losing every time. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
I suspect that the reference is likely to Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, often known as "Cunctator" -- despite looking a bit suspect to English speakers, it means "the delayer".
He didn't "lose" every battle, rather as he fought Hannibal, his strategy was one of delay and attrition, his example is sometimes referred to as "the Fabian strategy". He is references in Pliny (the Elder), Plutarch, Virgil, Livy and of course Ennius who gives him the name by which he's often known:
unus homo nobis cunctando restituit rem
"One delaying man restored to us [our state]"
He also sometimes gets the sobriquet "the Shield of Rome". Plutarch's account is the one which most often informs subsequent opinion of him
He's seen by military historians as an innovator in a strategy of guerilla warfare by an army in the field; refusing battle, attacking supply lines, avoiding the pitched battles which strategy in antiquity favored. 19th century socialists chose him as their inspiration -- hence the "Fabian Society", so named for his example of strategic patience.
See:
Elliott, Jackie. “Ennius' 'Cunctator' and the History of a Gerund in the Roman Historiographical Tradition.” The Classical Quarterly, vol. 59, no. 2, 2009, pp. 532–542.
Xenophontos, Sophia A. “Περὶ Ἀγαθοῦ Στρατηγοῦ: PLUTARCH'S FABIUS MAXIMUS AND THE ETHICS OF GENERALSHIP.” Hermes, vol. 140, no. 2, 2012, pp. 160–183.
Hi - we as mods have approved this thread, because while this is a homework question, it is asking for clarification or resources, rather than the answer itself, which is fine according to our rules. This policy is further explained in this Rules Roundtable thread and this META Thread.
As a result, we'd also like to remind potential answerers to follow our rules on homework - please make sure that your answers focus appropriately on clarifications and detailing the resources that OP could be using.
Additionally, while users may be able to help you out with specifics relating to your question, we also have plenty of information on /r/AskHistorians on how to find and understand good sources in general. For instance, please check out our six-part series, "Finding and Understanding Sources", which has a wealth of information that may be useful for finding and understanding information for your essay.