Ban Bo (班伯) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Ban Bo as an envoy, official, and scholar. This record brings together 24 passages from 1 chapter across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Ban Bo	班伯	Ban Bo
Personal name	Ban Bo	伯
Personal name	Bo	伯

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:117:s0016

Roles

Envoy
Official
Scholar

Life and dates

Death

Age: 38 · Raw: 病卒，年三十八
Explicit · hanshu:117:s0065

Age

Age: 38 · Raw: 年三十八
Explicit · hanshu:117:s0065

Career and standing

Text: Palace Attendant · Raw: 中常侍
Explicit · hanshu:117:s0018
Text: Privy Coachman · Raw: 奉車都尉
Explicit · hanshu:117:s0020
Text: governor of Dingxiang · Raw: 定襄太守
Explicit · hanshu:117:s0025

Events and relationships

Type: child-of · Person Id: Ban Kuang (班況)
Explicit · hanshu:117:s0016

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Han, Chapter 117Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 · 24 passages

Open chapter

況生三子：伯、斿、稚。 Ban Kuang fathered three sons named Bo, You, and Zhi.

伯少受《詩》於師丹。 Ban Bo studied the Odes under Shi Dan while he was still young.

大將軍王鳳薦伯宜勸學，召見宴昵殿，容貌甚麗，誦說有法，拜為中常侍。 Wang Feng urged the throne to employ Ban Bo as a scholar who could inspire study; summoned to the private audience hall, Ban Bo cut a striking figure and lectured with crisp order, and the emperor named him Palace Attendant.

時上方鄉學，鄭寬中、張禹朝夕入說尚書、論語於金華殿中，詔伯受焉。 Cheng was bent on scholarship, so Zheng Kuanzhong and Zhang Yu lectured each day on the Documents and the Analects in the Jinhua Palace while Ban Bo was told to join the class.

數年，金華之業絕，出與王、許子弟為群，在於綺襦紈褲之間，非其好也。 When the Jinhua tutorials stopped, Ban Bo drifted into the set of Wang and Xu heirs, a crowd of brocade-clad idlers that never suited him.

河平中，單于來朝，上使伯持節迎於塞下。 During the Heping reign the Chanyu visited the capital, and the emperor dispatched Ban Bo with an imperial staff to greet him just inside the frontier.

會定襄大姓石、李群輩報怨，殺追捕吏，伯上狀，因自請願試守期月。 Just then magnate families named Shi and Li in Dingxiang, feuding bloodily, had murdered pursuing constables; Ban Bo filed a report and volunteered to govern the commandery provisionally for one month.

上遣侍中中郎將王舜馳傳代伯護單于，并奉璽書印綬，即拜伯為定襄太守。 The court therefore sent Wang Shun galloping with the imperial insignia to relieve Ban Bo of the reception duty and invest him on the spot as governor of Dingxiang.

定襄聞伯素貴，年少，自請治劇，畏其下車作威，吏民竦息。 The commandery knew Ban Bo as young, noble-born, and hungry for a tough post, and everyone braced for a harsh new governor who would swagger in with threats.

伯至，請問耆老父祖故人有舊恩者，迎延滿堂，日為供具，執子孫禮。 Instead he sought out venerable locals and long-standing friends of his forebears, filled his hall with guests, fed them daily, and treated them with the deference of a grandson.

諸所賓禮皆名豪，懷恩醉酒，共諫伯宜頗攝錄盜賊，具言本謀亡匿處。 The notables he had wined were local titans who, warmed by his courtesy, drank deep and urged him to tighten the dragnet and map every hideout of the feuding clans.

伯曰：「是所望於父師矣。」 Ban Bo answered, "That is exactly the counsel I wanted from elders I respect."

歲餘，上徵伯。 A little over a year later the emperor recalled Ban Bo to court.

伯上書願過故郡上父祖冢。 Ban Bo asked leave to detour through Dingxiang and tend the graves of his father and grandfather.

會許皇后廢，班婕妤供養東宮，進侍者李平為婕妤，而趙飛燕為皇后，伯遂稱篤。 After Empress Xu fell, Lady Ban withdrew to serve the Dowager in the eastern palace, a maid named Li Ping rose to an honored lady, and Zhao Feiyan took the empress's seal; Ban Bo promptly claimed serious illness.

久之，上出過臨候伯，伯惶恐，起視事。 Months later Cheng called on him while touring nearby estates; terrified of seeming disloyal, Ban Bo roused himself and went back on duty.

上以伯新起，數目禮之，因顧指畫而問伯：「紂為無道，至於是虖？」 Noting that Ban Bo had lately returned to favor, the emperor kept glancing at him politely, then jerked his chin at the scene and asked Ban Bo, "Was wicked King Zhou really as bad as this?"

伯對曰：「書云『乃用婦人之言』，何有踞肆於朝？ Ban Bo replied, "The Documents says, 'Then he used women's words'—how could there have been such sprawling license at court?

伯曰：「『沈湎于酒』，微子所以告去也； Ban Bo said, "'Sunk deep in drink' is why the viscount of Wei announced his departure;

上乃謂然歎曰：「吾久不見班生，今日復聞讜言！」 The emperor thereupon sighed as if agreeing and said, "I have not seen Ban for a long time; today I have again heard blunt straight speech!"

後上朝東宮，太后泣曰：「帝間顏色瘦黑，班侍中本大將軍所舉，宜寵異之，益求其比，以輔聖德。 Later, when the emperor came to court at the Eastern Palace, the Empress Dowager wept and said, "The emperor's complexion has lately grown thin and dark. Palace Attendant Ban was first recommended by the Grand General; he should receive exceptional favor. Seek out more men like him, so they may support your sagely virtue.

是時許商為少府，師丹為光祿勳，上於是引商、丹入為光祿大夫，伯遷水衡都尉，與兩師並侍中，皆秩中二千石。 At the time Xu Shang was Minister of the Lesser Treasury and Shi Dan was Chamberlain for Attendants. The emperor brought Shang and Dan into court as grand counselors of the household, promoted Ban Bo to chief commandant of waters and parks, and had him serve as Palace Attendant together with his two teachers; all held the salary rank of fully two thousand piculs.

每朝東宮，常從； Ban Bo routinely escorted the emperor to the Dowager's audiences;

會伯病卒，年三十八，朝廷愍惜焉。 Ban Bo soon died of illness at thirty-eight, and the court mourned the loss.