Boyi (伯夷) | 24 Histories

Overview

Boyi was an official and Ritual Master.

PeriodDates uncertain

IdentityUncertain · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Attested activity

legendary antiquity
Directly stated · Book of Jin 41, passage 240; History of Liao 61, passage 5; Records of the Grand Historian 1, passages 211, 234, 236-237, 249; Records of the Grand Historian 2, passage 125

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Director of the Ancestral Order 秩宗
Appointed · Authority Emperor Shun (帝舜)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 1, passage 236
director of the three rites 典三禮
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Jin 41, passage 240
master of rites 主禮
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 1, passage 249

Events and relationships

Issued statutes
Legal · Lawgiver
Directly stated · History of Liao 61, passage 5
Yielded
Ritual · Appointee · With Long (龍)
Directly stated · Book of Jin 41, passage 240
Yielded
Ritual · Appointee · With Kui (夔)
Directly stated · Book of Jin 41, passage 240
Relation Appointed by · Person Emperor Yao (帝堯)
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 61, passage 5
Relation Subordinate of · Person Shun (舜)
Directly stated · Book of Jin 41, passage 240
Relation Served under · Person Shun (舜)
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 1, passage 249

Source notes

Historicity legendary
Directly stated · Book of Jin 41, passage 240; History of Liao 61, passage 5; Records of the Grand Historian 1, passage 211; Records of the Grand Historian 2, passage 2

References in the histories

Search passages

History

9 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 1 passage

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譬若以周、邵為丞相，孔丘為御史大夫，太公為將軍，畢公高拾遺於後，弁嚴子為衛尉，皋陶為大理，後稷為司農，伊尹為少府，子贛使外國，顏、閔為博士，子夏為太常，益為右扶風，季路為執金吾，契為鴻臚，龍逢為宗正，伯夷為京兆，管仲為馮翊，魯般為將作，仲山甫為光祿，申伯為太僕，延陵季子為水衡，百里奚為典屬國，柳下惠為大長秋，史魚為司直，蘧伯玉為太傅，孔父為詹事，孫叔敖為諸侯相，子產為郡守，王慶忌為期門，夏育為鼎官，羿為旄頭，宋萬為式道候。」 Imagine the Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Shao as your chancellors; Confucius as chief censor; the Grand Duke as commander; Duke Bi Gao as court remonstrant; Bian Zhuangzi as captain of the guard; Gao Yao as chief judge; Hou Ji as minister of agriculture; Yi Yin as palace treasurer; Zigong as foreign envoy; Yan Hui and Min Ziqian as court scholars; Zixia as master of rites; Yi as western capital intendant; Zilu as capital commandant; Xie as master of guest ceremonies; Guan Longpeng as keeper of the imperial genealogy; the minister Boyi as metropolitan governor; Guan Zhong as northern capital intendant; Lu Ban as chief engineer; Zhong Shanfu as palace chamberlain; the Earl of Shen as master of the horse; Prince Jizi of Yanling as keeper of parks and waters; Baili Xi as commissioner for dependent peoples; Liuxia Hui as chamberlain to the empress; Shi Yu as censor of conduct; Qu Boyu as grand tutor; Kong Fu as supervisor of the heir apparent's household; Sunshu Ao as chancellor to the feudal lords; Zichan as commandery governor; Prince Qingji as a palace gate guard; Xia Yu as cauldron officer; Yi the Archer as vanguard officer; and Song Wan as road-clearing scout."

Book of Jin, Chapter 41Volume 41 Biographies 11: Wei Shu; Li Xi; Liu Shi; Gao Guang · 1 passage

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使伯夷典三禮，讓于夔龍。 When Boyi was put in charge of the three classes of rites, he yielded to Kui and Long.

History of Liao, Chapter 61Volume 61 Treatises 31: Punishment and Law 1 · 1 passage

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帝堯清問下民，乃命三後恤功於民，伯夷降典，折民惟刑，故曰刑也者，始於兵而終於禮者也。 Emperor Yao sought the people's counsel and charged the Three Lords to care for their welfare; Boyi issued the penal code and judged the people by law alone — hence the saying that punishment begins with arms and ends with ritual.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 1Annals of the Five Emperors · 5 passages

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而禹、皋陶、契、后稷、伯夷、夔、龍、倕、益、彭祖自堯時而皆舉用，未有分職。 Yu, Gao Yao, Qi, Hou Ji, Boyi, Kui, Long, Chui, Yi, and Peng Zu had served since Yao’s day without fixed portfolios.

皆曰伯夷可。 All named Boyi.

伯夷，以汝為秩宗，夙夜維敬，直哉維靜絜。」 Boyi, you shall be Director of the Ancestral Order—watch day and night, upright, calm, and stainless.”

伯夷讓夔、龍。 Boyi tried to yield to Kui and Long.

伯夷主禮，上下咸讓； Boyi kept the rites and high and low deferred with grace.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 2Annals of Xia · 1 passage

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帝舜朝，禹、伯夷、皋陶相與語帝前。 At Shun's audience Yu, Boyi, and Gao Yao debated policy before the throne.