费边战术指一种拖延迂回的战术，不急于达到目的，用时间拖垮敌人。以回避陷入消耗战。

古罗马的费边将军（亦作法比乌斯），在前217年特拉西梅诺湖战役中罗马军队被汉尼拔带领的迦太基军队惨败之后他被选为独裁官。因为此时的迦太基军队已经远离本土，所以不能持久作战，费边指出尽管罗马缺乏足够的资源胜利，但是汉尼拔军队的策略目的只有罗马陷落才可能成功。尽管迦太基军队从北非获取几乎是无尽的补给，但补给线太长。所以罗马军采用迂回战术，并不与敌人正面决战，而是利用熟悉地形的优势在山区与敌人周旋，消耗迦太基军。使迦太基军队如果决意进攻罗马，就必须放弃地中海港口。同时罗马还不断小规模骚扰南欧，干扰敌人补给线，效果良好。这种战术以后就被称为“费边战术”，对历史影响巨大。

The Fabian strategy is a military strategy where pitched battles and frontal assaults are avoided in favor of wearing down an opponent through a war of attrition and indirection. While avoiding decisive battles, the side employing this strategy harasses its enemy through skirmishes to cause attrition, disrupt supply and affect morale. Employment of this strategy implies that the side adopting this strategy believes time is on its side, but it may also be adopted when no feasible alternative strategy can be devised.