Ancient China · Official and General

Gan Mao 甘茂

Died BC 305

Passages: 18
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Gan Mao was an official and General.

Life and dates

Death

BC 305 to BC 299 甘茂之亡秦奔齊
At Wei 魏
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 184

Attested activity

BC 305 to BC 299 甘茂之亡秦奔齊
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passages 142, 144, 158, 164, 166, 184

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Ancestor of Gan Luo (甘羅)
grandson 孫 · paternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passages 185-186
Parent of Child of Gan Mao and parent of Gan Luo (甘茂之子、甘羅之父)
grandson (via intervening child) 孫
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 185
Spouse of Wife of Gan Mao (甘茂之妻)
wife 妻
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 147

Kinship Role children · 妻子／家 left in Qin · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passages 147, 165

Career and standing

upper minister of Qi 上卿
BC 305 to BC 299 甘茂之亡秦奔齊 · Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 164
upper minister 上卿
BC 305 to BC 299 甘茂之亡秦奔齊 · Offered by Qin declined
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passages 157-158
Entered
BC 305 to BC 299 甘茂之亡秦奔齊 · Exile
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 142

Places and affiliations

Polity Qi 齊 · Relation Fled to
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passages 142, 164
Polity Qin 秦 · Relation Fled from
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 142
At Wei 魏 · Relation Died in
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 184

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Addressed to Su Dai (蘇代) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passages 144-147

Events and relationships

Sent to Chu
BC 305 to BC 299 甘茂之亡秦奔齊 · Diplomatic · Envoy · At Chu 楚
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 166
Relation Student of · Person Shi Ju (史舉)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 172

Assessments and attributes

Assessment no ordinary scholar; worthy; held ten offices without blame · Mode quotation Speaker Su Dai (蘇代)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passages 150, 159, 173

References in the histories

Search passages

History

18 passages

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 71Biographies of Shu Lizi and Gan Mao · 18 passages

甘茂之亡秦奔齊，逢蘇代。 When Gan Mao fled Qin and went to Qi, he encountered Su Dai.

甘茂曰：「臣得罪於秦，懼而遯逃，無所容跡。 Gan Mao declared: 'Your subject has offended Qin. I fled in fear, with no place to hide my traces.

茂之妻子在焉，願君以餘光振之。」 Gan Mao's wife and children are there. I wish you to use your surplus light to succor them.'

已，因說秦王曰：「甘茂，非常士也。 Having done so, he then advised the King of Qin: 'Gan Mao is no ordinary scholar.

甘茂不往。 Gan Mao did not go.

蘇代謂齊湣王曰：「夫甘茂，賢人也。 Su Dai addressed King Min of Qi: 'Gan Mao is a worthy man.

甘茂德王之賜，好為王臣，故辭而不往。 Gan Mao appreciates Your Majesty's favor and wishes to serve as your minister, therefore he declined and did not go.

秦因復甘茂之家以市於齊。 Qin therefore returned Gan Mao's family to bargain with Qi.

齊使甘茂於楚，楚懷王新與秦合婚而驩。 Qi dispatched Gan Mao as envoy to Chu, where King Huai had newly allied with Qin through marriage and was on good terms.

而秦聞甘茂在楚，使人謂楚王曰：「願送甘茂於秦。」 When Qin learned Gan Mao was in Chu, they sent someone to address the King of Chu: 'We wish you to send Gan Mao to Qin.'

楚王曰：「寡人欲相甘茂，可乎？」 The King of Chu asked: 'I wish to make Gan Mao prime minister—is this acceptable?'

夫史舉，下蔡之監門也，大不為事君，小不為家室，以茍賤不廉聞於世，甘茂事之順焉。 Shi Ju was a gatekeeper of Xiaca. On the great scale he did not serve his lord; on the small scale he did not maintain his household, and he was known throughout the world as lowly and unprincipled. Yet Gan Mao served him compliantly.

故惠王之明，武王之察，張儀之辯，而甘茂事之，取十官而無罪。 Thus, though King Hui was discerning, King Wu perceptive, and Zhang Yi eloquent, Gan Mao served them all, holding ten offices without incurring blame.

茂誠賢者也，然不可相於秦。 Gan Mao is truly a worthy man, yet he cannot serve as prime minister in Qin.

而甘茂竟不得復入秦，卒於魏。 Gan Mao was ultimately unable to reenter Qin and died in Wei.

甘茂有孫曰甘羅。 Gan Mao had a grandson named Gan Luo.

甘羅者，甘茂孫也。 Gan Luo was Gan Mao's grandson.

茂既死後，甘羅年十二，事秦相文信侯呂不韋。 After Gan Mao died, Gan Luo at age twelve served Qin's prime minister Wenxin Hou Lü Buwei.