Zhou Ke (周苛) | 24 Histories

Overview

Zhou Ke was a Han imperial secretary executed after defending Xingyang.

Life and dates

Death

BC 203 漢王四年
boiled alive 亨 · Authority Xiang Yu (項羽)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 31
Boiled alive · Authority Xiang Yu (項羽)
Directly stated · Book of Han 51, passage 34

Attested activity

BC 204 三年
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 93, passage 13
BC 204 楚圍之急，周苛遂殺魏豹
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 90, passage 31
BC 204 楚圍滎陽
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 42, passage 27
BC 203 漢王四年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passages 27, 31
BC 221 to BC 209 秦時
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 23

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Zhou Chang (周昌)
elder cousin 从兄 · paternal line
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 23
Ancestor of Ping (平)
grandson 孫 · 2 generations
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 11, passage 56
Parent of Child of Zhou Ke (周苛子)
child 子
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 11, passage 56
Sibling of Zhou Chang (周昌)
cousin 從兄 · Uncertain siblings
Directly stated · Book of Han 51, passage 27
Parent of Zhou Cheng (周成)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Han 51, passage 38; Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 35

Kinship Role grandsons · grandsons enfeoffed as marquises; unnamed (count not stated; recorded as plural minimum 2) · Count 2
Directly stated · Book of Han 6, passage 88

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Censor Grand Master 御史大夫
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 26
guard of Xingyang 守滎陽
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 27
retainer 客
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 24
Grandee Secretary 御史大夫
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 11, passage 56
junior clerk of Sishui 泗水卒史
BC 221 to BC 209 秦時 · Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 23

Places and affiliations

Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passages 24, 26-27
Polity Qin 秦 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 23
At Pei 沛
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passages 22-23
BC 203 漢王四年
At Xingyang 滎陽 · Relation Defended
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passages 27-28

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Han 51, passages 32-33; Records of the Grand Historian 96, passages 29-30

Events and relationships

Entered pass and broke Qin
Military · Follower
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 25
Followed
Military · Follower · With Emperor Gaozu (高祖)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 24
Killed
BC 204 楚圍之急 · Legal · Executioner · With Wei Bao (魏豹)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 90, passage 31
Left to guard
BC 203 漢王四年 · Military · Defender · At Xingyang 滎陽
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 27
Refused Chu command
BC 203 漢王四年 · Military · Captive
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passages 28-30

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 23

References in the histories

Search passages

History

27 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 1Volume 1: Annals of Emperor Gaozu 1 · 6 passages

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令御史大夫周苛、魏豹、樅公守滎陽。 He ordered Imperial Secretary Zhou Ke, Wei Bao, and Lord Song to defend Xingyang.

而周苛、樅公相謂曰：「反國之王，難與守城。」 Zhou Ke and Lord Song said to each other: "He is a rebel king—we cannot hold the city with him."

六月，羽已破走彭越，聞漢復軍成皋，乃引兵西拔滎陽城，生得周苛。 In the sixth month, after Xiang Yu had defeated and driven off Peng Yue, he heard that Han had again stationed troops at Chenggao. He therefore led his army west, took the city of Xingyang, and captured Zhou Ke alive.

羽謂苛：「為我將，以公為上將軍，封三萬戶。」 Xiang Yu said to Ke: "Be my general. I will make you supreme general and enfeoff you with 30,000 households."

周苛罵曰：「若不趨降漢，今為虜矣！ Zhou Ke cursed: "If you do not quickly surrender to Han, you will now become a captive!

羽亨周苛，并殺樅公，而虜韓王信，遂圍成皋。 Xiang Yu boiled Zhou Ke and also killed Lord Song. He captured King Han Xin and then surrounded Chenggao.

Book of Han, Chapter 6Volume 5: Annals of Emperor Jing · 1 passage

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封故御史大夫周苛、周昌孫子為列侯。 He enfeoffed the grandsons of the former Grandee Secretaries Zhou Ke and Zhou Chang as marquises.

Book of Han, Chapter 42Volume 33: Wei Bao, Tian Dan and Hán Xin (King of Han) · 2 passages

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楚圍之急，周苛曰：「反國之王，難與共守。」 As the Chu siege tightened, Zhou Ke said, "A king who has rebelled against his own realm is not someone we can hold the city with."

漢王使信與周苛等守滎陽，楚拔之，信降楚。 The Han king ordered Xin and Zhou Ke to guard Xingyang. Chu captured the city, and Xin surrendered to Chu.

Book of Han, Chapter 51Volume 42: Zhang, Zhou, Zhao, Ren and Shentu · 7 passages

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其從兄苛，秦時皆為泗水卒史。 His cousin Zhou Ke had served with him under the Qin as clerks of the corps for the Sishui commandery.

及高祖起沛，擊破泗水守監，於是苛、昌以卒史從沛公，沛公以昌為職志，苛為客。 When the High Ancestor rose at Pei and overthrew the Sishui governor and his inspector, the Zhou brothers followed the Lord of Pei in their old clerkships; the Lord of Pei named Zhou Chang duty officer and Zhou Ke a guest-retainer.

沛公立為漢王，以苛為御史大夫，昌為中尉。 When the Lord of Pei became King of Han, he appointed Zhou Ke imperial counsellor and Zhou Chang commandant of the guard.

漢三年，楚圍漢王滎陽急，漢王出去，而使苛守滎陽城。 In the third year of Han, Chu forces had Xingyang in a stranglehold; the King of Han slipped away but left Zhou Ke to hold the city.

楚破滎陽城，欲令苛將，苛罵曰：「若趣降漢王！ When Chu took Xingyang, they tried to make Zhou Ke switch sides. He shouted back at them, "Surrender to the King of Han at once!

項羽怒，亨苛。 Enraged, Xiang Yu had Zhou Ke executed in the cauldron.

苛子成以父死事，封為高景侯。 Zhou Ke's son Cheng was enfeoffed as marquis of Gaojing in recognition of his father's sacrifice.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 11Annals of the Xiaojing Emperor · 1 passage

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中元年，封故御史大夫周苛孫平為繩侯，故御史大夫周昌（子）［孫］左車為安陽侯，四月乙巳，赦天下，賜爵一級。 In the first year of the middle period, he enfeoffed Ping, grandson of the former Grandee Secretary Zhou Ke, as Marquis of Sheng, and Zuoju, grandson of the former Grandee Secretary Zhou Chang, as Marquis of Anyang. On the yisi day of the fourth month, he granted a general amnesty throughout the empire and bestowed one grade of noble rank.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 90Biographies of Wei Bao and Peng Yue · 1 passage

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楚圍之急，周苛遂殺魏豹。 When Chu pressed the siege fiercely, Zhou Ke put Wei Bao to death.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 93Biographies of Han Xin (King of Han) and Lu Wan · 1 passage

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三年，漢王出滎陽，韓王信、周苛等守滎陽。 In the third year, when the King of Han left Xingyang, Han Xin the King of Han, along with Zhou Ke and others, was left to defend Xingyang.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 96Biography of Chancellor Zhang · 8 passages

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其從兄曰周苛，秦時皆為泗水卒史。 His elder cousin was named Zhou Ke. During the Qin dynasty, both of them served as junior clerks in the Sishui commandery.

及高祖起沛，擊破泗水守監，於是周昌、周苛自卒史從沛公，沛公以周昌為職志，周苛為客。 When Gaozu rose at Pei and defeated the Sishui Guardian and Inspector, Zhou Chang and Zhou Ke left their positions as junior clerks to follow the Duke of Pei. The Duke appointed Zhou Chang as a duty recorder and Zhou Ke as a retainer.

沛公立為漢王，以周苛為御史大夫，周昌為中尉。 When the Duke of Pei was established as King of Han, he appointed Zhou Ke as Censor Grand Master and Zhou Chang as Commandant of the Capital.

漢王四年，楚圍漢王滎陽急，漢王遁出去，而使周苛守滎陽城。 In the fourth year of the King of Han's reign, Chu laid a desperate siege to the King of Han at Xingyang. The King of Han escaped, leaving Zhou Ke behind to defend the city.

楚破滎陽城，欲令周苛將。 When Chu breached the walls of Xingyang, they tried to compel Zhou Ke to serve as a general on their side.

苛罵曰：「若趣降漢王！ Zhou Ke cursed him: "You should surrender to the King of Han at once!

項羽怒，亨周苛。 Xiang Yu, enraged, had Zhou Ke boiled alive.

周苛子周成以父死事，封為高景侯。 Zhou Ke's son Zhou Cheng was enfeoffed as Marquis of Gaojing in recognition of his father's death in the line of duty.