Yuan Tan (元坦) | 24 Histories

Overview

Yuan Tan was a prince and Official.

PeriodThree Kingdoms and Six Dynasties

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Death

At place of assignment in northern Yingzhou 配所
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 24

Attested activity

AD 543 to AD 549 咸陽王坦
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 47, passage 56
AD 532 孝武初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 7
AD 528 永安初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 28, passages 4-5
AD 550 齊天保初
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 22

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Descendant of Emperor Xianwen of Wei (魏獻文皇帝)
grandfather 祖 · paternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 2
Child of Yuan Xie (元勰)
adopted and raised 收養 · Foster parentage
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 6
Sibling of Yuan Shu (元樹)
elder brother 兄 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 3
Sibling of Yuan Yi (元翼)
elder brother 兄 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 3
Child of Yuan Xi (元禧)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 2
Parent of Yuan Shibao (元世寶)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 23

Kinship Role elder-brothers · Count 5 · Yi, Shu, and others who fled south after Xi's execution
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 3

Key source chapters

Career and standing

special eminence and commissioner equal to the Three Dukes 特進、開府儀同三司
AD 550 齊天保初 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 22
inspector of Jizhou 冀州刺史
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 17
palace attendant 侍中
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 4
director of imperial clan affairs 宗正
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 14
governor of Sizhou 司州牧
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 14
grand commandant 太尉
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 14

Show 10 more source-backed claims

grand preceptor 太師
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 14
grand tutor 太傅
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passages 14, 21
minister over the masses 司徒
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 14
recorder of the masters of writing 錄尚書事
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 14
special eminence 特進
Recalled
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 17
Prince of Fucheng 敷城王
Changed to
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 3
Duke of Xinfeng county 新豐縣公
AD 550 齊天保初 · Reduced to
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 22
Prince of Xianyang commandery 咸陽郡王
AD 528 永安初 · Restored
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 4
Consigned
Exile · At northern Yingzhou 北營州
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 24
dismissal after censorate impeachment 御史劾奏免官
Dismissed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 16

Places and affiliations

Polity Northern Qi 齊 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 22
At Jizhou 冀州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 17
At northern Yingzhou 北營州 · Relation Exiled to
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 24

Works and attributed material

Speech · Addressee · With Emperor Zhuang of Wei (魏莊帝) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 5
Speech · Addressee · With Yuan Shu (元樹) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passages 9-11
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 20

Events and relationships

Secretly urged elimination
Political · Instigator · With Yuan Shu (元樹)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 8

Assessments and attributes

Assessment corrupt and greedy; sold judgments and offices · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 15
Assessment extortionate tax collector; devoted to hunting · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passages 17-19

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 1

References in the histories

Search passages

History

12 passages

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 28Volume 28 Biographies 20: Yuan Tan (Eastern Wei); Yuan Bin; Yuan Xiaoyou; Yuan Huiye; Yuan Bi; Yuan Shao (Eastern Wei) · 11 passages

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元坦元斌元孝友元暉業元弼元韶 Yuan Tan; Yuan Bin; Yuan Xiaoyou; Yuan Huiye; Yuan Bi; Yuan Shao

元坦，祖魏獻文皇帝，咸陽王禧第七子。 Yuan Tan's grandfather was Emperor Xianwen of Wei; he was the seventh son of Prince Xianyang Xi.

禧誅後，兄翼、樹等五人相繼南奔，故坦得承襲，改封敷城王。 After Xi was executed, five elder brothers including Yi and Shu fled south one after another, so Tan inherited the title; his fief was changed to prince of Fucheng.

莊帝從容謂曰：「王才非荀、蔡，中歲屢遷，當由少長朕家，故有超授。」 Emperor Zhuang said to him at ease, "Prince, your talent is not like that of Xun or Cai; yet in mid-career you have been repeatedly promoted. That must be because you grew up in my household from youth — hence these extraordinary appointments."

初，禧死後，諸子貧乏，坦兄弟為彭城王勰所收養，故有此言。 Earlier, after Xi died his sons were impoverished; Tan and his brothers were taken in and raised by Prince Pengcheng Xie — hence this remark.

坦見樹既長且賢，慮其代己，密勸朝廷以法除之。 Tan saw that Shu was older and more worthy and feared he would be displaced; he secretly urged the court to eliminate Shu by law.

樹知之，泣渭坦曰：「我往因家難，不能死亡，寄食江湖，受其爵命。 When Shu learned of it, he wept on the Wei River and said to Tan, "Long ago, because of our family's calamity, I could not die; I lived on others' food along rivers and lakes and accepted their ranks and commands.

坦作色而去。 Tan flushed and left.

樹死，竟不臨哭。 When Shu died, Tan never went to mourn at his coffin.

坦歷司徒、太尉、太傅，加侍中、太師、錄尚書事、宗正、司州牧。 Tan served as minister over the masses, grand commandant, and grand tutor, with additional posts as palace attendant, grand preceptor, recorder of the masters of writing, director of imperial clan affairs, and governor of Sizhou.

坦配北營州，死配所。 Tan was consigned to northern Yingzhou and died in the place of his assignment.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 47Volume 47 Biographies 39: Cruel Officials · 1 passage

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遊道入省，劾太師咸陽王坦、太保孫騰、司徒高隆之、司空侯景、錄尚書元弼、尚書令司馬子如官貸金銀，催徵酬價，雖非指事贓賄，終是不避權豪。 Entering office, Youdao impeached Grand Tutor Tan, Prince of Xianyang, Grand Guardian Sun Teng, Minister of Education Gao Longzhi, Minister of Works Hou Jing, Director Yuan Bi, Director Sima Ziru and others for official loans of gold and silver—though not direct bribery, he did not spare the powerful.