Ancient China · Statesman and Official

Five Ram Skin Grand Master 五羖大夫

Wu Gu Daifu

Attested BC 659 - BC 621

Passages: 5
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Five Ram Skin Grand Master was a statesman and Official.

Life and dates

Death

Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 153

Attested activity

BC 659 to BC 621 五羖大夫相秦
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 145, 148

Career and standing

chancellor of Qin 相秦
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 148, 152
chancellor of Qin 相秦
BC 659 to BC 621 相秦六七年 · Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 148
sold himself and tended cattle 自粥於秦客，被褐食牛
Enslavement · Entered
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 146
Entered
Manumission elevation
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 147

Places and affiliations

Polity Qin 秦 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 147-148
At Jing 荊
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 145

Events and relationships

Attacked Zheng
Military · Chancellor · At Zheng 鄭
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 148
Relation Patron of · Person You Yu (由余)
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 151

Assessments and attributes

Assessment virtuous chancellor loved by the people · Mode named-source-report Speaker Zhao Liang (趙良)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 153-154

References in the histories

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 68Biography of Lord Shang · 5 passages

子觀我治秦也，孰與五羖大夫賢？」 Look at how I have governed Qin: compared with the Five Ram Skin Grand Master, who is worthier?'

趙良曰：「夫五羖大夫，荊之鄙人也。 Zhao Liang said: 'The Five Ram Skin Grand Master was a rustic from Jing.

五羖大夫之相秦也，勞不坐乘，暑不張蓋，行於國中，不從車乘，不操干戈，功名藏於府庫，德行施於後世。 When the Five Ram Skin Grand Master served as chancellor of Qin, he did not ride in carriages when laboring, did not spread a canopy in the heat, and traveled through the state without attendant carriages or weapons. His merit and fame were stored in the treasuries, and his virtue and conduct extended to later generations.

五羖大夫死，秦國男女流涕，童子不歌謠，舂者不相杵。 When the Five Ram Skin Grand Master died, the men and women of Qin wept, children did not sing songs, and those pounding grain did not strike their pestles.

此五羖大夫之德也。 This was the virtue of the Five Ram Skin Grand Master.