Ancient China · Assassin

Yao Li 要離

Attested BC 514

Passages: 2
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

Yao Li was an Assassin.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 514 要離
Directly stated · Book of Liang 14, passage 223; Records of the Grand Historian 83, passage 216

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Wife of Yao Li (要離妻)
wife 妻
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 83, passage 216

Kinship Role children · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 83, passage 216

Key source chapters

References in the histories

Book of Liang, Chapter 14Volume 14: Jiang Yan; Ren Fang · 1 passage

皆願摩頂至踵，隳膽抽腸，約同要離焚妻子，誓徇荊卿湛七族。 All would grind crown to heel, crush gall and draw gut, pledge with Yao Li to burn wife and children, vow with Jing Ke to drown seven clans.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 83Biographies of Lu Zhonglian and Zou Yang · 1 passage

然則荊軻之湛七族，要離之燒妻子，豈足道哉！ If so, then what Jing Ke suffered—the destruction of his seven kindred clans—or what Yao Li endured—the burning of his wife and children—would scarcely be worth mentioning!