Qin and Han · Knight-errant

Ju Meng 劇孟

Attested BC 180 - BC 141

Passages: 29
Chapters: 7
Histories: 3

Overview

Ju Meng was a Knight-errant.

Life and dates

Death

died; household had not wealth of ten in gold
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 47
died leaving less than ten gold pieces 家無餘十金之財
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 124, passage 47

Attested activity

BC 154 劇孟
Strongly inferred · Book of Song 62, passage 101
BC 154 吳、楚反時…得劇孟
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 104, passage 43
BC 154 吳楚反時
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 124, passage 43
BC 154 孝景三年七國之亂
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 44, passages 148, 151
BC 154 孝景世七國反
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 93, passage 111
BC 157 to BC 141 布衣遊俠劇孟
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 104, passage 15

Show 2 more source-backed claims

BC 157 to BC 141 景帝時
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 101, passage 133
BC 180 to BC 154 田仲死後，有劇孟
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 104, passage 40

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Mother of Ju Meng (劇孟母)
son 子
mother 母
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 124, passage 46; Records of the Grand Historian 101, passage 135
Child of Mother of Ju Meng (劇孟母)
mother 母
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 46

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 104 Volume 92: Youxias 8 passages
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 124 Biographies of Knight-errants 7 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 58 Volume 49: Yuan Ang and Chao Cuo 4 passages
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 101 Biographies of Yuan Ang and Chao Cuo 4 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 44 Volume 35: Princes of Jing, Yan and Wu 3 passages

Career and standing

wandering knight-errant 布衣遊俠
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passages 15, 42

Places and affiliations

Polity Han 漢 · Relation Lived under
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 15
Luoyang 雒陽
Directly stated · Book of Han 58, passage 109
At Luoyang 洛陽
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 41
At Luoyang 雒陽
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 101, passage 133; Records of the Grand Historian 124, passage 41

Learning and skills

Skill gambling 博 · Level fond-of
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 45

Works and attributed material

Narrative · Subject
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passages 42, 44-45, 47
Speech · Subject of speech · Speaker Zhou Yafu (周亞夫) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 43

Events and relationships

Mother funeral drew thousand chariots
Ritual · Bereaved son
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 46
Obtained by Marquis Tiao
BC 154 吳、楚反時 · Military · Recruited knight · With Zhou Yafu (周亞夫)
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 43
Remained neutral during the Seven Kingdoms revolt, reassuring Zhou Yafu that the eastern region was secure
Political · Uncommitted notable
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passages 148, 150-151
Secured by Marquis of Tiao in Wu Chu rebellion
Military · Recruited asset · With Zhou Yafu (周亞夫)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 124, passage 43
Relation Conduct resembled · Person Zhu Jia (朱家)
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 45

Assessments and attributes

Assessment conduct resembled Zhu Jia; fond of gambling · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Sima Qian (司馬遷)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 124, passage 45
Assessment obtaining him like gaining an enemy state · Mode named-source-report Speaker Zhou Yafu (周亞夫)
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passages 43-44
authority ran through provinces; force bent marquises and dukes
Reputation
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 15

Source notes

Zhou people took merchants as capital; Ju Meng displayed himself by knight-errantry
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 42

References in the histories

Search passages

History

29 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 44Volume 35: Princes of Jing, Yan and Wu · 3 passages

至雒陽，見劇孟，喜曰：「 When he reached Luoyang and saw Ju Meng, he said with delight, “

又以為諸侯已得劇孟。 I feared the rebels had already won Ju Meng over.

孟今無動，吾據滎陽，滎陽以東無足憂者。」 Since he has not stirred, Xingyang is mine, and east of it we have little to fear.”

Book of Han, Chapter 58Volume 49: Yuan Ang and Chao Cuo · 4 passages

雒陽劇孟嘗過盎，盎善待之。 Ju Meng of Luoyang called on him once, and Yuan Ang received him as an honored guest.

安陵富人有謂盎曰：「吾聞劇孟博徒，將軍何自通之？」 A wealthy Anling burgher asked him, "Ju Meng is nothing but a gamester—why should a man of your rank seek him out?"

盎曰：「劇孟雖博徒，然母死，客送喪車千餘乘，此亦有過人者。 Yuan Ang replied, "Ju Meng may haunt the gaming houses, but when his mother died over a thousand carriages followed her bier—there was greatness in him.

夫一旦叩門，不以親為解，不以在亡為辭，天下所望者，獨季心、劇孟。 When disaster strikes your gate, you will want men who ask no questions about kinship or whether you are at home—the names the empire trusts are Ji Xin and Ju Meng alone.

Book of Han, Chapter 93Volume 82: Wang Shang, Shi Dan and Fu Xi · 2 passages

前孝景世七國反，將軍周亞夫以爲即得雒陽劇孟，關東非漢之有。 In Emperor Jing's reign the seven states rebelled. General Zhou Yafu said that with Ju Meng of Luoyang on their side, the rebels could take everything east of the Pass from Han.

今商宗族權勢，合貲巨萬計，私奴以千數，非特劇孟匹夫之徒也。 Today Wang Shang's clan commands wealth beyond counting and keeps thousands of private slaves—they are far more dangerous than a lone adventurer like Ju Meng.

Book of Han, Chapter 104Volume 92: Youxias · 8 passages

外戚大臣魏其、武安之屬競逐於京師，布衣遊俠劇孟、郭解之徒馳騖於閭閻，權行州域，力折公侯。 Inside Chang'an the Dou and Tian factions jostled for power, while in the alleys bare-chested swordsmen like Ju Meng and Guo Xie built reputations that cowed nobles and bent whole commanderies.

田仲死後，有劇孟。 After Tian Zhong died, Ju Meng came to the fore.

劇孟者，洛陽人也。 Ju Meng came from Luoyang.

周人以商賈為資，劇孟以俠顯。 Where Zhou folk prided themselves on trade, Ju Meng made his name with a sword.

吳、楚反時，條侯為太尉，乘傳東，將至河南，得劇孟，喜曰：「吳、楚舉大事而不求劇孟，吾知其無能為已。」 During the Rebellion of Seven States, Zhou Yafu rode east as Grand Commandant, picked up Ju Meng in Henan, and laughed with relief: "If Wu and Chu forgot to recruit Ju Meng, they have already lost."

天下騷動，大將軍得之若一敵國雲。 Amid the empire's turmoil, the Grand General's gaining Ju Meng was reckoned equivalent to securing the allegiance of an entire rival state.

劇孟行大類硃家，而好博，多少年之戲。 Ju Meng lived like Zhu Jia but loved dice and the games of the young.

及孟死，家無十金之財。 When he died, his heirs could not scrape together ten catties of gold.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 101Biographies of Yuan Ang and Chao Cuo · 4 passages

雒陽劇孟嘗過袁盎，盎善待之。 Ju Meng of Luoyang once paid Yuan Ang a visit, and Ang received him warmly.

安陵富人有謂盎曰：「吾聞劇孟博徒，將軍何自通之？」 A wealthy man of Anling said to Ang, 'I hear that Ju Meng is a gambler. Why do you associate with such a man, General?'

盎曰：「劇孟雖博徒，然母死，客送葬車千餘乘，此亦有過人者。 Ang replied, 'Though Ju Meng is a gambler, when his mother died, over a thousand carriages of guests attended the funeral. A man who commands such loyalty has qualities that surpass the ordinary.

夫一旦有急叩門，不以親為解，不以存亡為辭，天下所望者，獨季心、劇孟耳。 When a crisis comes knocking, men who will not hide behind family ties or plead for their own lives—men whom all under heaven look to—are only Ji Xin and Ju Meng.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 124Biographies of Knight-errants · 7 passages

以余所聞，漢興有朱家、田仲、王公、劇孟、郭解之徒，雖時捍當世之文罔，然其私義廉絜退讓，有足稱者。 From what I have heard, since the founding of the Han there have been men like Zhu Jia, Tian Zhong, Wang Gong, Ju Meng, and Guo Jie. Though they sometimes clashed with the laws of their day, their personal honor, integrity, and modesty were deserving of the highest praise.

田仲已死，而雒陽有劇孟。 After Tian Zhong passed away, there arose in Luoyang a man named Ju Meng.

周人以商賈為資，而劇孟以任俠顯諸侯。 The people of the Zhou region made their living by trade, but Ju Meng won his fame among the lords through knight-errantry.

吳楚反時，條侯為太尉，乘傳車將至河南，得劇孟，喜曰：「吳楚舉大事而不求孟，吾知其無能為已矣。」 When the kingdoms of Wu and Chu rose in rebellion, the Marquis of Tiao was serving as Grand Commandant. On his way to Henan by relay carriage, he secured the allegiance of Ju Meng and exclaimed with delight: "Wu and Chu have launched their great revolt without enlisting Meng — I know they cannot accomplish anything for themselves."

天下騷動，宰相得之若得一敵國云。 When the empire was in turmoil, winning Ju Meng to one's side was said to be worth as much as conquering an enemy state.

劇孟行大類朱家，而好博，多少年之戲。 In conduct, Ju Meng closely resembled Zhu Jia, though he had a fondness for gambling and the diversions of young men.

及劇孟死，家無餘十金之財。 When Ju Meng himself died, his household had not so much as ten pieces of gold to its name.

Book of Song, Chapter 62Volume 62 Biographies 22: Yang Xin, Zhang Fu, Wang Wei · 1 passage

今雖王道鴻鬯，或有激朗於天表，必欲探援潛寶，傾海求珠，自可卜肆巫祠之間，馬棧牛口之下，賞劇孟於博徒，拔卜式於芻牧。 Though the royal way now flourishes, men of brilliance may still appear from on high; if you wish to seek hidden talent and pearls from the deep, you may find them between the fortune-teller's stall and the shaman's shrine, in the stable and the cattle pen—as when Ju Meng was valued among gamblers or Bu Shi was drawn up from the pasture.