Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Official and Administrator

Tao Jizhi 陶季直

c. AD 437 - AD 511

Passages: 16
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Tao Jizhi was an official and Administrator.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Nickname	the Invited Gentleman	聘君	Pinjun

Life and dates

Death

AD 511 十年
At at home 於家 · Age Value: 75 · Reckoning: Sui
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 131

Age

75
AD 511 十年 · Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 131
5
Reckoning Sui · when mother died
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 105
4
Reckoning Sui · when refused silver
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 102

Attested activity

AD 511 十年
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 131
AD 502 天監初
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 129
AD 479 to AD 482 齊初
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 115

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Tao Minzu (陶愍祖)
grandfather 祖 · paternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 99
Child of Tao Jingren (陶景仁)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 100
Child of Mother of Tao Jizhi
mother 母
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 105

Kinship Role descendants · Count 2 · sons and grandsons lacked burial means; plural uncounted
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 132
Kinship Role grandsons · Count 2 · multiple grandsons including Jizhi; exact count unstated
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 102

Career and standing

Grand Master of the Palace 太中大夫
AD 502 天監初 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 129
Registrar to the Minister of Education 司徒主簿
AD 479 to AD 482 齊初 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 115
Registrar to the Minister of Works 司空主簿
AD 479 to AD 482 齊初 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 115
administrator of Jian'an 建安太守
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 125
Died in
Poverty
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 132

Places and affiliations

Liang 梁
Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passages 127, 129
Southern Qi 齊
Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 115
At Moling in Danyang 丹陽秣陵
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 98

Works and attributed material

Petition · Author · With Wang Jian (王儉) · Mode quotation
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 116

Events and relationships

Declined to join Liu Bing and Yuan Can plot
Political · Refuser
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passages 112-114
Relation Associate of · Person Chu Yuan (褚淵)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 115

Assessments and attributes

Assessment pure and bitter beyond compare · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 132
Assessment withdrew by citing age · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 153

References in the histories

Search passages

History

16 passages

Book of Liang, Chapter 52Volume 52: The Self-Sufficient · 16 passages

陶季直 Tao Jizhi

陶季直，丹陽秣陵人也。 Tao Jizhi came from Moling in Danyang.

季直早慧，愍祖甚愛異之。 Minzu loved and favored him exceedingly for his early brilliance.

愍祖嘗以四函銀列置於前，令諸孫各取，季直時甫四歲，獨不取。 Minzu once set four boxes of silver before them and had the grandsons each take one; Jizhi was only four and alone did not take.

人問其故，季直曰：「若有賜，當先父伯，不應度及諸孫，是故不取。」 When asked why, Jizhi said: "If there is a gift, it should go first to fathers and uncles—not to grandsons—therefore I do not take."

卒後，家人始贖，季直抱之號慟，聞者莫不酸感。 after her death the household at last redeemed them; Jizhi embraced them and wailed—hearers were all moved to sorrow.

起家桂陽王國侍郎、北中郎鎮西行參軍，並不起，時人號曰「聘君」。 He began as Gentleman of the Kingdom of Guiyang and Army Aide on the Western Campaign of the Northern General of the Gentlemen, and did not take office—people called him "the Invited Gentleman."

時劉秉、袁粲以齊高帝權勢日盛，將圖之，秉素重季直，欲與之定策。 At the time Liu Bing and Yuan Can, because Qi Gaozu's power grew daily, were about to plot against him; Bing had always esteemed Jizhi and wished to settle strategy with him.

季直以袁、劉儒者，必致顛殞，固辭不赴。 Jizhi held that Yuan and Liu were Confucians and would surely come to ruin, and firmly declined to go.

齊初，爲尚書比部郎，時褚淵爲尚書令，與季直素善，頻以爲司空司徒主簿，委以府事。 At the beginning of Qi he was Director of the Ministry of Justice Comparison Section; Chu Yuan was Director of the Imperial Secretariat and was on good terms with Jizhi, repeatedly making him Registrar to the Minister of Works and Minister of Education, entrusting him with bureau affairs.

淵卒，尚書令王儉以淵有至行，欲諡爲文孝公，季直請曰：「文孝是司馬道子諡，恐其人非具美，不如文簡。」 When Yuan died, Wang Jian wished to posthumously title him Duke Wenxiao; Jizhi petitioned: "Wenxiao was Sima Daozi's posthumous title—I fear the man was not wholly good; better Wenjian."

季直又請儉爲淵立碑，終始營護，甚有吏節，時人美之。 Jizhi also asked Jian to erect a stele for Yuan and saw to it from start to finish—very much official conduct; people praised this.

齊武帝崩，明帝作相，誅鋤異己，季直不能阿意，明帝頗忌之，乃出爲輔國長史、北海太守。 When Qi Wudi died, Mingdi became regent and purged dissenters; Jizhi could not flatter him and Mingdi feared him, sending him out as Chief Clerk Who Assists the State and administrator of Beihai.

或勸季直造門致謝，明帝旣見，便留之，以爲驃騎諮議參軍，兼尚書左丞。 Some urged Jizhi to call at his gate and apologize; once Mingdi saw him he kept him, making him Army Adviser on the Rapid Cavalry and Director of the Left in the Secretariat.

季直素清苦絕倫，又屏居十餘載，及死，家徒四壁，子孫無以殯斂，聞者莫不傷其志焉。 Jizhi was pure and bitter beyond compare; he lived in seclusion more than ten years, and at death his house had only bare walls—descendants had no means for burial; hearers grieved for his resolve.

史臣曰：顧憲之、陶季直，引年者也，蕭眎素則宦情鮮焉。 The historian says: Gu Xianzhi and Tao Jizhi cited age to withdraw; Xiao Shisu had little taste for office.