Qin and Han · General

Ding Gong 丁公

First attested BC 205; died BC 202

Passages: 11
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

Ding Gong was a general.

Life and dates

Death

BC 202 遂斬丁公
Beheaded · Authority Liu Bang (劉邦)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 100, passage 71
BC 202 項王滅
Execution · Authority Liu Bang (劉邦)
Directly stated · Book of Han 46, passages 60-61

Attested activity

BC 205 to BC 202 丁公…項王滅
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 46, passages 57, 60
BC 202 及項王滅
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 100, passages 69, 71
BC 205 彭城西
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 100, passage 67

Family

Kin of Ji Bu (季布)
mother's younger brother 母弟 · maternal line · Through Mother of Ji Bu (季布母)
maternal uncle 母弟 · maternal line · Through Mother of Ji Bu (季布母)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 100, passage 66; Book of Han 46, passage 57
Sibling of Mother of Ji Bu (季布母)
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings
mother's younger brother 母弟 · Uncertain siblings · maternal line
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 100, passage 66; Book of Han 46, passage 57

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Chu general 楚將
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 100, passage 66
execution 斬
Suffered · Authority Liu Bang (劉邦)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 100, passage 71

Places and affiliations

Polity Chu 楚 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 100, passage 66

Events and relationships

Cornered
BC 205 彭城西 · Military · Pursuer · With Liu Bang (劉邦) · At west of Pengcheng 彭城西
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 100, passage 67
Withdrew pursuit
Military · Commander · With Liu Bang (劉邦)
Directly stated · Book of Han 46, passages 58-59
Withdrew
Military · Commander · With Liu Bang (劉邦)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 100, passage 68

References in the histories

Search passages

History

11 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 46Volume 37: Ji Bu, Luan Bu and Tian Shu · 5 passages

布母弟丁公，為項羽將，逐窘高祖彭城西。 Ji Bu's maternal uncle Ding Gong, a general under Xiang Yu, had pressed Gaozu hard west of Pengcheng.

短兵接，漢王急，顧謂丁公曰：「兩賢豈相厄哉！」 In close combat the King of Han was desperate; turning to Ding Gong he cried, "Must two able men try to destroy each other?"

丁公引兵而還。 Ding Gong withdrew his troops.

及項王滅，丁公謁見高祖，以丁公徇軍中，曰：「丁公為項王臣不忠，使項王失天下者也。」 After Xiang Yu fell, Ding Gong came to pay his respects; Gaozu had him paraded before the host and declared, "Ding Gong was a faithless servant to his king; he helped cost Xiang Yu the empire."

遂斬之，曰：「使後為人臣無傚丁公也！」 He had him executed, saying, "Let no future minister take Ding Gong as his model!"

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 100Biographies of Ji Bu and Luan Bu · 6 passages

季布母弟丁公，為楚將。 Ji Bu's mother's younger brother Ding Gong served as a Chu general.

丁公為項羽逐窘高祖彭城西，短兵接，高祖急，顧丁公曰：「兩賢豈相戹哉！」 Ding Gong, serving Xiang Yu, pursued and cornered Emperor Gaozu west of Pengcheng. They met in close combat; the Emperor was in peril and looked back at Ding Gong, saying, "How can two worthy men afflict each other!"

於是丁公引兵而還，漢王遂解去。 At this, Ding Gong withdrew his troops, and the King of Han was able to escape.

及項王滅，丁公謁見高祖。 After the fall of Xiang Yu, Ding Gong sought an audience with Emperor Gaozu.

高祖以丁公徇軍中，曰：「丁公為項王臣不忠，使項王失天下者，乃丁公也。」 Emperor Gaozu had Ding Gong paraded through the army and said, "Ding Gong served King Xiang as a minister without loyalty; the one who caused King Xiang to lose the empire is Ding Gong."

遂斬丁公，曰：「使後世為人臣者無效丁公！」 Gaozu then had Ding Gong beheaded, saying, "Let no minister in later generations follow Ding Gong's example!"