Taibo (太伯) | 24 Histories

Overview

Taibo was a Zhou Prince.

IdentityUncertain · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Wu Taibo	吳太伯	Wú Tài bó

Life and dates

Attested activity

legendary antiquity
Directly stated · Book of Chen 4, passage 118; Old Book of Tang 160, passage 12; History of Liao 72, passage 28; Records of the Grand Historian 61, passage 9
legendary antiquity
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 265, passage 67
BC 1120 太伯之吳
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 65

Key source chapters

Book of Chen, Chapter 4 Volume 4: Emperor Fei 2 passages
History of Liao, Chapter 72 Volume 72 Biographies 2: Imperial Family: Yi Zongbei, the Foreign Emperor Zhang Su, Shun Zongjun, Jin Wangaoluwo 2 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 96 Volume 85: Gu Yong and Du Ye 1 passage
Old Book of Tang, Chapter 160 Volume 156 Biographies 106: Yu Di, Han Hong, Wang Zhixing 1 passage
Draft History of Qing, Chapter 265 Volume 265 Biographies 52: Tang Bin, Lu Longqi, Zhang Boxing 1 passage

Places and affiliations

Polity Wu 吳 · Relation Associated with
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 265, passage 67
At Wu 吳 · Relation Traveled to
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 65

Events and relationships

Temple retained when other Wu shrines demolished
Commemoration · Cult recipient · At Wu 吳
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 12
Went to Wu
Travel · Actor · At Wu 吳
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 65

Assessments and attributes

Assessment ancient benevolent sage and worthy man · Mode quoted-source Source Person Id Confucius (孔子)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 61, passage 9
Assessment model of yielding and going abroad · Mode quotation Speaker Yelü Bei (突欲)
Directly stated · History of Liao 72, passage 28

Source notes

Historicity legendary
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 12; Records of the Grand Historian 61, passage 9
Value legendary
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 265, passage 67

Later references and commemoration

Shrine restored
AD 1685 二十四年 · Posthumous commemoration · Honoree
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 265, passage 67

References in the histories

Search passages

History

9 passages

Book of Chen, Chapter 4Volume 4: Emperor Fei · 2 passages

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文皇知子之鑒，事甚帝堯，傳弟之懷，又符太伯。 Emperor Wen knew which son could bear the charge, as Yao did; his wish to pass the throne to his younger brother matched the Duke of Wu.

及疾將大漸，召高宗謂曰「吾欲遵太伯之事」，高宗初未達旨，後寤，乃拜伏涕泣，固辭。 As his illness deepened he called Emperor Xuan and said, "I mean to follow the Duke of Wu's example of yielding the throne." At first Emperor Xuan did not understand; when he did, he prostrated himself, wept, and refused.

Book of Han, Chapter 96Volume 85: Gu Yong and Du Ye · 1 passage

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宜深辭職，自陳淺薄不足以固城門之守，收太伯之讓，保謙謙之路，闔門高枕，為知者首。 You ought deeply to decline, saying yourself too shallow to secure the gates, take Taibo's example of yielding, keep to humility, shut your gates and rest easy, and be foremost among the wise.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 160Volume 156 Biographies 106: Yu Di, Han Hong, Wang Zhixing · 1 passage

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吳俗事鬼，頔疾其淫祀廢生業，神宇皆撤去，唯吳太伯、伍員等三數廟存焉。 The people of Wu were devoted to spirit cults; Di, distressed that lavish rites were ruining livelihoods, had most shrines demolished, retaining only a handful, including those of Taibo of Wu and Wu Yuan.

History of Liao, Chapter 72Volume 72 Biographies 2: Imperial Family: Yi Zongbei, the Foreign Emperor Zhang Su, Shun Zongjun, Jin Wangaoluwo · 2 passages

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不如適他國，以成吳太伯之名。」 better to go abroad and earn a name like Wu Taibo's."

觀其始慕泰伯之賢而為遠適之謀，終疾陳恒之惡而有請討之舉，誌趣之卓，蓋已見於早歲先祀孔子之言歟。 See how early on he admired Taibo's virtue and planned exile abroad, and in the end loathed Chen Heng's crime and urged his ruler to punish it—his high purpose was already plain in youth, when he argued to honor Confucius first.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 265Volume 265 Biographies 52: Tang Bin, Lu Longqi, Zhang Boxing · 1 passage

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斌令諸州縣立社學，講孝經、小學，修泰伯祠及宋范仲淹、明周順昌祠，禁婦女遊觀，胥吏、倡優毋得衣裘帛，毀淫詞小說，革火葬。 Bin ordered community schools in every county to teach the Classic of Filial Piety and Elementary Learning, restored shrines to Taibo, Fan Zhongyan, and Zhou Shunchang, barred women from pleasure outings and clerks and actors from wearing silk and fur, burned obscene books, and ended cremation.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 13Genealogical Tables of the Three Dynasties · 1 passage

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太伯之吳，遂生源也。』 Tai Bo went to Wu, and thus originated the source.'

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 61Biographies: Biography of Bo Yi · 1 passage

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孔子序列古之仁聖賢人，如吳太伯、伯夷之倫詳矣。 Confucius arranged and set forth the ancient benevolent sages and worthy men, including figures such as Wu Taibo and Bo Yi, in detail.