Qin and Han · Hermit and Writer

Liang Hong 梁鸿

Liáng Hóng

Attested AD 9 - AD 88

Passages: 21
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

Liang Hong was a Hermit and Writer.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Changed name	Yao	耀	Yào
Courtesy name	Boluan	伯鸾	Bóluán

Life and dates

Death

At Wu 吴
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passage 225

Attested activity

AD 25 to AD 80 東漢
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 203, passage 6
AD 9 to AD 88 王莽时...肃宗
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passages 161, 202

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Liang Rang (梁让)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passage 161
Parent of Son of Liang Hong
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passage 224
Spouse of Wife of Liang Hong (梁鴻之妻)
wife 妻
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 203, passage 6
Spouse of Meng Guang (孟光)
wife 妻
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passages 178, 191

Kinship Role wife and children · Count 2 · Unknown Count true
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passage 227

Key source chapters

Places and affiliations

At Pingling in Fufeng 扶风平陵
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passage 160
At Mount Baling 霸陵山 · Relation Resided at
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passage 195
At Wu 吴 · Relation Migrated to
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passages 204, 219

Works and attributed material

encomia for twenty-four worthies 二十四人作颂
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passage 196
more than ten writings 书十余篇
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passage 223
Song of Five Sighs 五噫之歌
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passage 197
Poem · Author
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passages 197-201, 205-218

Events and relationships

Cited as husband in seclusion
Literary · Exemplar alluded to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 203, passage 6
Burial · Deceased · At beside Yaoli tomb in Wu 吴要离冢傍
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passage 225
Relation Friend of · Person Gao Hui (高恢)
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passage 228

Source notes

From Liang Hong 梁鸿 · To Yunqi Yao, styled Houguang 运期耀字侯光
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passage 203

References in the histories

Search passages

History

21 passages

Book of Later Han, Chapter 94Volume 83: Biographies of Hermits · 20 passages

梁鸿字伯鸾，扶风平陵人也。 Liang Hong, styled Boluan, was from Pingling in Fufeng.

鸿时尚幼，以遭乱世，因卷席而葬。 The boy lived in chaos and buried him with only a mat for coffin.

鸿乃寻访烧者，问所去失，悉以豕偿之。 He tracked every victim, tallied their losses, and paid in pigs.

鸿曰：“无它财，愿以身居作。” Liang said, "I own nothing else—I will work off the debt with my labor."

邻家耆老见鸿非恒人，乃共责让主人，而称鸿长者。 Elders saw he was no common laborer, scolded the landlord, and hailed Liang as a gentleman.

鸿不受而去，归乡里。 Liang refused the herd and walked home.

势家慕其高节，多欲女之，鸿并绝不娶。 Great houses courted him with daughters; he turned down every match.

女曰：“欲得贤如梁伯鸾者。” She said, "I will marry only a worthy like Liang Boluan."

鸿闻而娉之。 Liang heard and sent matchmakers.

七日而鸿不答。 Liang spoke not a word to her for seven nights.

鸿曰：“吾欲裘褐之人，可与俱隐深山者尔。 Liang answered, "I sought a woman in leather and homespun to vanish with me into the hills.

鸿大喜曰：“此真梁鸿妻也。 Liang exulted, "This is the wife of Liang Hong.

鸿曰：“诺。” Liang said, "You are right."

肃宗闻而非之，求鸿不得。 Emperor Zhang heard the song, took offense, and hunted Liang Hong in vain.

乃易姓运期，名耀，字侯光，与妻子居齐鲁之间。 He therefore changed his surname to Yunqi, his personal name to Yao, and his courtesy name to Houguang, and hid with his wife between Qi and Lu.

每归，妻为具食，不敢于鸿前仰视，举案齐眉。 Each night his wife served supper without lifting her eyes, raising the tray to her brows in respect.

鴻潛閉著書十餘篇。 Liang Hong shut himself in and wrote a dozen essays.

咸曰：“要离烈士，而伯鸾清高，可令相近。” All agreed: "Yaoli died for honor; Boluan lived in purity—they should lie side by side."

初，鸿友人京兆高恢，少好《老子》，隐于华阴山中。 His friend Gao Hui of Jingzhao, who loved the Laozi in youth, had hidden on Mount Huayin.

及鸿东游思恢，作诗曰：“鸟嘤嘤兮友之期，念高子兮仆怀思，相念恢兮爰集兹。” Eastbound, he missed Hui and wrote: "Birds call—friends' season; I long for Gao Zi—my heart dwells here."

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 203Volume 193 Biographies 143: Exemplary Women · 1 passage

其次梁鴻之妻，無辭偕隱，共姜之誓，不踐二庭，婦道母儀，克彰圖史，又其長也。 Next are figures such as Liang Hong's wife, who followed her husband into seclusion without a word of protest, and Gong Jiang, who vowed never to enter a second household—their wifely virtue and maternal example are fully celebrated in the histories, and this too is their highest merit.