Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator (; c. 280 BC – 203 BC) was a Roman politician and general, who was born in
Rome around 280 BC and died in Rome in 203 BC. He was a
Roman Consul five times (233 BC, 228 BC, 215 BC, 214 BC and 209 BC) and was twice appointed
Dictator, in 221 and again in 217 BC. He reached the office of
Roman Censor in 230 BC. His
agnomen Cunctator (cognate to the
English noun ) means "delayer" in
Latin, and refers to his
strategy in deploying troops during the
Second Punic War. He is widely regarded as the father of
guerrilla warfare due to his, at the time, novel strategy of targeting enemy supply lines in light of being largely outnumbered. His
cognomen Verrucosus means "warty", a reference to a wart above his upper lip.