Qin and Han · Han statesman placed in charge of river dikes

Ping Dang 平當

First attested BC 43; died BC 5

Passages: 14
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Ping Dang was a Han statesman placed in charge of river dikes.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Zisi	子思	Zǐsī

Life and dates

Death

BC 5 建平二年
Illness in office
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 184

Attested activity

BC 43 元帝時
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passages 143, 146
c. BC 7 to c. BC 4 哀帝初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 38, passage 183
BC 7 哀帝即位
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passages 170, 175, 181

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Descendant of Grandfather of Ping Dang (平當祖父)
grandfather 祖父 · paternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 142
Parent of Ping Yan (平晏)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 184

Ping family father and son both rose to chancellor
Kinship Role sons · Quantity multiple
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 185

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Attendant within the Palace 給事中
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 144
Remonstrance Grandee 諫大夫
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 164
Erudite 博士
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 143
General of the Left 左將軍
BC 7 哀帝即位 · Promoted
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 170
Chancellor 丞相
BC 5 建平二年 · Promoted
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passages 175, 185
Commandant of the Imperial Counselors 御史大夫
Promoted
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 174

Show 2 more source-backed claims

Superintendent of the Imperial Household 光祿勳
Promoted
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 173
Enfeoffed
Noble Title Marquis of Guannei 關內侯
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 175

Places and affiliations

Polity Han · Relation Official of
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 142
Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 38, passage 183
At Pingling 平陵
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 142

Works and attributed material

Book of Documents / Classic of History 尚書
Relation Scholar
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 143
Memorial · Author · Addressed to Emperor Ai (孝哀皇帝)
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passages 177-180
Memorial · Author · Addressed to Emperor Yuan (元帝)
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passages 146-163
Hydraulic memorial · Author · Mode direct-attribution Speaker Ping Dang (平當)
Directly stated · Book of Han 38, passages 183-185

Events and relationships

Withdrew with shame
Political · Retiree
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 199

Assessments and attributes

Assessment withdrew with a sense of shame · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 199

References in the histories

Search passages

History

14 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 38Volume 29: Treatise on Rivers and Canals · 1 passage

哀帝初，平當使領河隄，奏言「九河今皆寘滅，按經義治水，有決河深川，而無隄防雍塞之文。 Early in Emperor Ai's reign, Ping Dang was put in charge of river dikes and memorialized: "The Nine Rivers are now entirely blocked and erased. Classical water policy speaks of opening channels and deepening rivers, not of choking them with embankments.

Book of Han, Chapter 82Volume 71: Jun, Shu, Yu, Xue, Ping and Peng · 13 passages

平當字子思，祖父以訾百萬，自下邑徙平陵。 Ping Dang, courtesy name Zisi, was descended from a grandfather worth a million cash who had moved the family from Xiayi to Pingling.

當少為大行治禮丞，功次補大鴻臚文學，察廉為順陽長、栒邑令，以明經為博士，公卿薦當論議通明，給事中。 In youth he served as assistant for rites under the grand courier, rose through merit to an erudite post at the office of the grand herald, was nominated incorrupt and became chief of Shunyang and magistrate of Xunyi, then, on his mastery of the classics, was named an erudite; the high ministers praised the clarity of his memorials and he received appointment as palace attendant.

每有災異，當輒傅經術，言得失。 Whenever omens appeared he framed his analysis in the classics and spoke plainly of policy failures and successes.

自元帝時，韋玄成為丞相，奏罷太上皇寢廟園，當上書言：「臣聞孔子曰：『如有王者，必世而後仁。』 Under Emperor Yuan, Chancellor Wei Xuancheng had persuaded the throne to close the shrine park of the Exalted Supreme Emperor. Ping Dang memorialized: "Confucius said, 'Give a true king one generation and benevolence will appear.'

當以為作治連年，可遂就。 Ping Dang had argued that work already stretched over many years and could be brought to completion.

當又以為長雖有善言，不應封爵之科。 Ping Dang replied that Chang's counsel, however sound, did not meet the criteria for a noble title.

當以經明《禹貢》，使行河，為騎都尉，領河堤。 For his mastery of the Tribute of Yu he was sent to inspect the Yellow River, appointed Commandant of Cavalry, and put in charge of the dikes.

哀帝即位，征當為光祿大夫、諸吏、散騎，復為光祿勳、御史大夫，至丞相。 Emperor Ai summoned him as Imperial Household Grandee with attendant-at-leisure privileges; he rose again to superintendent of the imperial household and commandant of the imperial counselors, and finally to chancellor.

明年春，上使使者召，欲封當。 The next spring the emperor sent messengers to call him to court for enfeoffment.

當病篤，不應召。 He was too ill to answer the summons.

室家或謂當：「不可強起受侯印為子孫耶？」 Someone in his household urged him, "Why not drag yourself to court, take the seal of a full marquis, and secure something for your heirs?"

當曰：「吾居大位，已負素餐之責矣，起受侯印，還臥而死，死有餘罪。 Dang answered, "I have held high office long enough to be ashamed of an empty salary; to rise now, clutch a marquis's seal, and die the moment I return to bed would leave guilt enough for the grave.

薛廣德保縣車之榮，平當逡遁有恥，彭宣見險而止，異乎「苟患失之」者矣。 Xue Guangde preserved the honor of retiring his carriage; Ping Dang withdrew with a sense of shame; and Peng Xuan stopped when he saw danger. They were unlike those who "are anxious only over losing office."