Liu Dun (劉惇) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Liu Dun as an astrologer, diviner, strategist, and writer. This record brings together 7 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	Liu Dun	劉惇	Liu Dun
Given	Dun	惇	Dun
Surname	Liu	劉	Liu
Courtesy	Ziren	子仁	Ziren

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · sanguozhi:063:s0080

Roles

Astrologer
Diviner
Strategist
Writer

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: service under Sun Fu · Western Interval: Start: AD 196 · End: AD 210
Explicit event contextual date · sanguozhi:063:s0081
Source Date: Text: 建安中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 196 · End: AD 220
Explicit · sanguozhi:063:s0085

Career and standing

Label: army strategist / 軍師
Explicit · sanguozhi:063:s0084

Places and affiliations

Place: Pingyuan / 平原
Explicit · sanguozhi:063:s0080
Place: Luling / 廬陵 · Relation: sojourned
Explicit · sanguozhi:063:s0081
Organization: Eight Wonders / Eight Marvels / 八绝 · Relation: member-of
Explicit · sanguozhi:063:s0135

Learning and skills

Skill: Taiyi divination / 太一 · Level: master
Explicit · sanguozhi:063:s0090

Works and attributed material

Work: over a hundred chapters on divination / 著書百餘篇 · Relation: author
Explicit · sanguozhi:063:s0090

Events and relationships

Kind: divination · Role: diviner · Action: predicted-Danyang-calamity · Other Person Id: Sun Quan (孫權) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 建安中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 196 · End: AD 220
Explicit · sanguozhi:063:s0085, sanguozhi:063:s0086, sanguozhi:063:s0089
Relation: served · Person Id: Sun Fu (孫輔)
Explicit · sanguozhi:063:s0081

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: called divine by the army · Provenance: Mode: named-source-report
Explicit · sanguozhi:063:s0084
Assessment: technically subtle but not the gentleman's great aim · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · sanguozhi:063:s0138

References in the histories

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

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 63Volume 63: Book of Wu 18: Biographies of Wu Fan, Liu Dun, and Zhao Da · 7 passages

Open chapter

劉惇字子仁，平原人也。 Liu Dun, courtesy Ziren, hailed from Pingyuan.

建安中，孫權在豫章，時有星變，以問惇。 In Jian’an Sun Quan camped at Yuzhang; strange stars appeared and he consulted Liu Dun.

惇曰："災在丹楊。 Liu Dun said, “Calamity will strike Danyang.”

"是時邊鴻作亂，卒如惇言。 Then Bian Hong rose in revolt—exactly as Liu Dun foretold.

惇於諸術皆善，尤明太一，皆能推演其事，窮盡要妙，著書百餘篇，名儒刁玄稱以為奇。 Liu Dun mastered many disciplines, especially Taiyi divination, unfolding cases to their subtle roots in over a hundred scrolls—scholar Diao Xuan called them extraordinary.

惇亦寶愛其術，不以告人，故世莫得而明也。 Yet Liu Dun hoarded his secrets, so posterity never fully grasped them.

孤城郑妪能相人，及范、惇、达八人，世皆称妙，谓之八绝云。 Physiognomist Mother Zheng of lone-walled Gucheng joined Wu Fan, Liu Dun, Zhao Da, and five talents hailed as the Eight Wonders.