Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · General and Statesman

Huan Wen 桓溫

Attested AD 345 - AD 420

Passages: 4
Chapters: 3
Histories: 3

Overview

Huan Wen was a general and Statesman.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 345 to AD 373 桓溫執政
Strongly inferred · Book of Jin 117, passage 115
AD 420 永初元年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 3, passage 218
AD 345 to AD 373 溫、陶釋位
Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 13, passages 131-132

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Huan Xuan (桓玄)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Song 3, passage 219

Key source chapters

Places and affiliations

Polity Eastern Jin 東晉 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 13, passage 131
Polity Id eastern-jin · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Jin 117, passage 115

Events and relationships

Relinquished rank
AD 345 to AD 373 溫、陶釋位 · Political · Minister
Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 13, passage 131
Relation Colleague of · Person Tao Kan (陶侃)
Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 13, passages 131-132

Assessments and attributes

Assessment with Tao Kan, relinquished rank yet the royal framework was drawn tight again · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passages 131-132

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 131

References in the histories

Book of Jin, Chapter 117Volume 117 Records 17: Yao Xing Part One · 1 passage

自桓溫、謝安已後，未見寬猛之中。」 Since Huan Wen and Xie An, no ruler has balanced firm and mild rule."

Book of Song, Chapter 3Volume 3 Annals 3: Emperor Wu 3 · 1 passage

桓溫雄才葢世，勳高一時，移鼎之業巳成，天人之望將改。 Huan Wen's heroic talent covered the age and his merit stood highest for a time; the enterprise of shifting the mandate was already accomplished and Heaven and man's expectation was about to change.

Book of Zhou, Chapter 13Volume 13 Biographies 5: Princes of Wen, Xiaomin, Wu, and Xuan · 2 passages

溫、陶釋位，王綱弛而更張。 Huan Wen and Tao Kan relinquished rank, and the royal framework slackened yet was drawn tight again.

然則周之列國，非一姓也，晉之群臣，非一族也，豈齊、晉強于列國，溫、陶賢於群臣者哉，蓋勢重者易以立功，權輕者難以盡節故也。 Zhou's feudal states were not of one surname; Jin's ministers were not of one clan—were Qi and Jin stronger than the other states, and Wen and Tao worthier than other ministers? Heavy power makes merit easy; light authority makes full loyalty hard.