Fabricius (Caius Fabricius Luscinus), a Roman statesman, celebrated for his virtue and integrity. While consul in 282 B. C. he defeated the Lucanians, Bruttians, and Samnites, and enriched the public treasury with more than 400 talents from the spoils of the enemy, remaining poor himself. In 280 he served as legate in the campaign against Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, to whom he was sent at its close with an embassy, to ask the ransom or exchange of some Roman prisoners of war. The meeting of the envoy and the king at Taren-tum has perhaps been embellished by the Roman historians. Fabricius is represented to have withstood not only the most splendid offers of Pyrrhus, who knowing his poverty tried to bribe him into his service, but also the threatening aspect of an elephant seemingly let loose upon him. In reward of his integrity the king allowed the captives to go to Rome for the celebration of the Saturnalia, on promise of returning after the festival. In 279 Fa-bricius fought in the battle of Asculum, which, though nominally a victory for Pyrrhus, was regarded by him almost as a defeat.

In the next year he commanded again as consul, and exposed to his enemy the treachery of his physician, who offered to poison him; upon which Pyrrhus is said to have exclaimed, It is easier to turn the sun from its career than Fabricius from his honesty," and to have freed all his captives without ransom; When Pyrrhus evacuated Italy, Fabricius was engaged in subduing his allies. As censor in 275 he deprived P. Cornelius Rufinus of his seat in the senate, for having in his household 10 pounds of silver plate. Like Curius Dentatus, he spurned the presents of the Samnite ambassadors, and died so poor that the senate had to provide marriage portions for his daughters, He was buried within the walls of Rome, the prohibitory law of the twelve tables having been suspended in his honor.