Li Ling (李陵) | 24 Histories

Overview

Li Ling was a Han general.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Shaoqing	少卿	Shaoqing

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 99
Uncertain · Book of Southern Qi 48, passage 152
BC 99 天漢二年秋
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 163
BC 99 書信引用
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 3, passage 45
BC 99 李陵傳
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 205
BC 99 漢之李陵
Directly stated · History of Liao 76, passage 94
BC 99 漢書·李陵傳
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 6, passage 8

Show 2 more source-backed claims

BC 99 to BC 74 漢李陵
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 71, passage 63
BC 99 漢李陵兵敗之歲
Strongly inferred · Book of Southern Qi 34, passage 98

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Mother of Li Ling (李陵母)
mother 母 · maternal line
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 205
Child of Mother of Li Ling (李陵母)
mother 母
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 171
Child of Li Danghu (李當戶)
posthumous son 遺腹子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 148
Spouse of Wife of Li Ling (李陵妻)
wife 妻
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 171
Spouse of Daughter of the Chanyu (單于女)
wife 妻
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 170

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Commandant of Cavalry 騎都尉
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 162
Superintendent of the Jianzhang Palace 建章監
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 158
Entered
Surrendered
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 168

Places and affiliations

Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 205

Works and attributed material

Li Ling's letter 李陵書
Relation Author
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 71, passage 63
Biography of Li Ling 李陵傳
Relation Subject of
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 205

Events and relationships

Surrendered to xiongnu
Military · Commander · With Chanyu (單于)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passages 164, 168
Surrendered to Xiongnu
Military · Surrendered general · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 205

Assessments and attributes

Assessment conduct admired by Xiaozhao · Mode named-source-report Source Person Id Emperor Xiaozhao (孝昭帝)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 6, passage 8
Assessment neither loyal subject nor filial son after surrender · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 205
Assessment virtue standard before whom Yu Wanzhi feels ashamed · Mode self-report Speaker Yu Wanzhi (虞玩之)
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 34, passage 98

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 34, passage 98

References in the histories

Search passages

History

15 passages

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 3Volume 3 Annals 3: Emperor Wenxiang · 1 passage

Open chapter

闔門大小，悉在司寇，意謂李氏未滅，猶言少卿可反。 Your whole household, great and small, is in the hands of the Minister of Justice; I thought that since the Li clan was not yet destroyed, one might still say the Lesser Minister could return.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 6Volume 6 Annals 6: Emperor Xiaozhao · 1 passage

Open chapter

遂篤志讀《漢書》，至《李陵傳》，恒壯其所為焉。 He then applied himself to the Book of Han; when he came to the biography of Li Ling, he always took fierce pride in Li Ling's conduct.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 114Volume 110 Biographies 60: Li Guangbi, Wang Sili, Deng Jingshan, Xin Yunjing · 1 passage

Open chapter

史臣曰史臣曰：嘗讀《李陵傳》，戰敗不能死，屈節降虜庭，君不得為忠臣，母不得為孝子，每長嘆久之。 The historiographer writes: I have read the biography of Li Ling—defeated, unable to die, he submitted to the barbarians; he could be neither loyal minister to his lord nor filial son to his mother—and I have long sighed at it.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 71Volume 71 Book of Later Tang 47: Biographies 23: Ma Yu, Si Kongting, Cao Tingyin, Xiao Xifu, Yao Zongzhi, Jia Fu, Ma Gao, Luo Guan, Chun Yuyan, Zhang Ge, Xu Ji, Zhou Xuanbao · 1 passage

Open chapter

人有引漢李陵書以譏之曰：「老母終堂，生妻去室。」 Someone mocked him with a line from Li Ling's letter to the Han: "His old mother died at home; his living wife abandoned their house."

History of Liao, Chapter 76Volume 76 Biographies 6: Yelu Jieli, Yelu Balide, Yelu Shuogu, Yelu Lubugu, Zhao Yanshou, Gao Mohan, Zhao Siwen, Yelu Oulisi, Zhang Li · 1 passage

Open chapter

手詔褒美，比漢之李陵。 The emperor wrote him a personal edict of praise, comparing him to Li Ling of Han.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 34Volume 34 Biographies 15: Yu Wanzhi, Liu Xiu, Shen Chong, Yu Gaozhi, Wang Chen · 1 passage

Open chapter

不謀巧宦而位至九卿，德慙李陵而忝居門下。 Without scheming for preferment I rose to the nine ministers; in virtue I am ashamed before Li Ling, yet I presumptuously hold a Menxia post.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 48Volume 48 Biographies 29: Yuan Tuan, Kong Zhigui, Liu Hui · 1 passage

Open chapter

故衞霍出關，千隊不反，貳師入漠，百旅頓降，李廣敗於前鋒，李陵沒於後陣，其餘奔北，不可勝數。 Thus, when Wei Qing and Huo Qubing campaigned beyond the passes, a thousand companies failed to return; when the General of Ershi entered the desert, a hundred formations surrendered at once. Li Guang was defeated in the vanguard and Li Ling was lost in the rear; the others who fled in defeat were beyond counting.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 109Biography of General Li · 8 passages

Open chapter

當戶有遺腹子名陵。 Danghu left behind a posthumous son named Li Ling.

李陵既壯，選為建章監，監諸騎。 When Li Ling came of age, he was selected to serve as Superintendent of the Jianzhang Palace, in charge of the cavalry.