Dates uncertain · Warrior

Meng Ben 孟賁

Legendary antiquity

Passages: 4
Chapters: 4
Histories: 3

Overview

Meng Ben was a Warrior.

Life and dates

Attested activity

古
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 126, passage 251
legendary antiquity
Directly stated · Book of Han 98, passage 193; Records of the Grand Historian 120, passage 41

Key source chapters

Assessments and attributes

Assessment ancient warrior · Mode named-source-report Source Person Id Wang Mang (王莽)
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 126, passage 251

Source notes

Historicity legendary
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 126, passage 251

References in the histories

Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 1 passage

臣朔年二十二，長九尺三寸，目若懸珠，齒若編貝，勇若孟賁，捷若慶忌，廉若鮑叔，信若尾生。 I am twenty-two, stand nine feet three inches, my eyes shine like pearls and my teeth line up like shells; in courage I match Meng Ben, in agility Qingji, in integrity Bao Shu, in good faith Weisheng.

Book of Han, Chapter 98Volume 87a: Yang Xiong 1 · 1 passage

賁、育之倫，蒙盾負羽，杖鏌邪而羅者以萬計，其餘荷垂天之畢，張竟野之罘，靡日月之誅竿，曳彗星之飛旗。 Champions like Ben and Yu, shields and plumes, Mo Ye swords—myriads; others spread heaven-wide nets and comet banners.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 126Volume 115: Officials Part Two · 1 passage

又虎贲旧作「虎奔」，言如虎之奔也，王莽以古有勇士孟贲，故名焉。 The name was once written "tiger-run" for swiftness; Wang Mang linked it to the ancient warrior Meng Ben.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 120Biographies of Ji and Zheng · 1 passage

然至其輔少主，守城深堅，招之不來，麾之不去，雖自謂賁育亦不能奪之矣。」 But when it comes to safeguarding a young sovereign, he would hold the fortress with unyielding resolve—no summons could lure him away, and no command could dislodge him. Even men who fancy themselves the equals of Meng Ben and Xia Yu could not wrest his loyalty from him.'