Qin and Han · Official

Dong Gong 董恭

Attested BC 8 - BC 1

Passages: 11
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Dong Gong was an official.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 8 to BC 5 初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 105, passage 219
BC 7 to BC 1 哀帝
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 105, passages 166, 170, 213
BC 1 哀帝崩
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 105, passage 260
BC 2 to BC 1 是時
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 105, passage 227

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Dong Xian (董賢)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passages 166, 219
Parent of Dong Kuanxin (董寬信)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 260
Spouse of Mother of Dong Xian (董賢母)
Marriage
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 105, passage 260

Career and standing

magistrate of Baling 霸陵令
Appointed · At Baling 霸陵
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 170
imperial secretary 御史
BC 8 to BC 5 初 · Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 219
imperial secretary 御史
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 166
Yunzhong marquis/hou 雲中侯
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 170
chamberlain for the palace revenues 少府
Promoted
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 181
grand counsellor of the household 光祿大夫
Promoted
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 170

Show 5 more source-backed claims

grand counsellor of the household 光祿大夫
Transferred · Grade fully two thousand piculs 中二千石 · Reason judged unsuited to ministerial/卿 rank
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 213
defender of the capital 衛尉
Transferred
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 181
marquis within the passes 關內侯
Granted · With Fief true
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 181
Escaped execution
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 257
exile to Hepu 徙合浦
Imposed
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 260

Places and affiliations

Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 219
At Julu 巨鹿
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 105, passage 260
BC 1 哀帝崩
At Hepu 合浦 · Relation Exiled to
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 105, passage 260
At Baling 霸陵 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 170

Works and attributed material

Spoken sigh · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 231

Events and relationships

Lavish coffin decoration
Ritual · Arranger · With Dong Xian (董賢)
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 256
Sought marriage alliance with Wang brothers
Political · Seeker · With Wang Hong (王閎)
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passages 227-228

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 219

References in the histories

Search passages

History

11 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 105Volume 93: Flatterers · 11 passages

父恭，為御史，任賢為太子舍人。 His father Dong Gong served as imperial secretary and used his privilege to appoint Xian gentleman of the household to the crown prince.

問及其父為雲中侯，即日徵為霸陵令，遷光祿大夫。 Learning that his father held the Yunzhong marquisate, Ai summoned the elder Dong the same day to be magistrate of Baling, then promoted him to grand counsellor of the household.

遷賢父為少府，賜爵關內侯，食邑，復徙為衛尉。 Dong Gong was raised to chamberlain for the palace revenues, given a marquis-within-the-passes title with income, then shifted to defender of the capital.

以父恭不宜在卿位，徙為光祿大夫，秩中二千石。 His father Dong Gong was judged unfit for a nine-minister post and shifted to grand counsellor of the household at the top two-thousand-picul rate.

初，丞相孔光為御史大夫，時賢父恭為御史，事光。 Long before, when Kong Guang was imperial counsellor, Dong Gong had been his subordinate secretary.

兄弟並列，賢父恭慕之，欲與結婚姻。 With both brothers prominent, Dong Gong courted an alliance by marriage.

閎性有知略，聞咸言，心亦悟，乃還報恭，深達咸自謙薄之意。 Wang Hong took the point, went back to Dong Gong, and relayed Xiao Xian's polite refusal in full.

恭歎曰：「我家何用負天下，而為人所畏如是！」 Dong Gong sighed, "What crime have we committed against the empire to be dreaded so?"

賢自殺伏辜，死後父恭等不悔過，乃復以沙畫棺四時之色，左蒼龍，右白虎，上著金銀日月，玉衣珠璧以棺，至尊無以加。 Dong Xian killed himself and submitted to guilt, yet after his death his father Gong and the others showed no repentance. They painted the coffin with the colors of the four seasons, set the azure dragon on the left and the white tiger on the right, placed gold and silver sun and moon above, and put jade garments, pearls, and disks inside the coffin. Even the highest sovereign could add nothing more.

恭等幸得免於誅，不宜在中土。 Dong Gong should not be left in the heartland after such mercy.

父恭、弟寬信與家屬徙合浦，母別歸故郡巨鹿。 Dong Gong and Dong Kuanxin went to Hepu with the clan; the mother was sent home to Julu.