Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Strategist and General

Ma Su 謖

c. AD 190 - AD 228

Passages: 7
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Ma Su was a Strategist and General.

Life and dates

Death

AD 228 建興六年
died in prison 下獄物故 · Age At Death Age: 39 · Reckoning: Sui
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passages 131-132

Age

39
Reckoning Sui · Point death
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 132

Attested activity

AD 228 建興六年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passages 129, 131-133, 135

Family

Kinship Role orphaned children · Quantity unspecified · Kinship Term orphaned children 遺孤
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 135

Career and standing

Jailed
AD 228 建興六年 · Imprisoned
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 131

Places and affiliations

Polity Shu Han 蜀漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 129
AD 228 建興六年
At Jieting 街亭 · Relation Fought at
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 129

Works and attributed material

Letter · Author · With Zhuge Kongming (諸葛孔明) · Direct quotation · Source Work Records of Xiangyang 襄陽記 · Mode named-source-report Source Work 襄陽記
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 133

Events and relationships

Defeated
AD 228 建興六年 · Military · Vanguard commander · With Zhang He (張郃) · At Jieting 街亭 · Outcome army scattered 士卒離散
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 129
Relation Like son of · Person Zhuge Kongming (諸葛孔明)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 133

Assessments and attributes

Assessment hard to discard · Mode commentator-judgment Speaker Xi Zuochi (習鑿齒)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 146
Assessment must not be heavily employed; lacked true talent · Mode quotation Speaker Liu Bei (先主)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 145

References in the histories

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 39Volume 39: Book of Shu 9: Biographies of Dong, Liu, Ma, Chen, Dong, and Lü · 7 passages

建興六年，亮出軍向祁山，時有宿將魏延、吳壹等，論者皆言以為宜令為先鋒，而亮違眾拔謖，統大眾在前，與魏將張郃戰於街亭，為郃所破，士卒離散。 In 228 Zhuge Liang struck toward Qishan. Everyone expected veterans such as Wei Yan or Wu Yi to lead the van, but he chose Ma Su instead. Ma Su took the main force forward, met Zhang He at Jieting, was shattered, and his men fled in disorder.

謖下獄物故，亮為之流涕。 Ma Su was jailed and died; Zhuge Liang wept for him.

良死時年三十六，謖年三十九。 Ma Liang died at thirty-six; Ma Su died at thirty-nine.

〈襄陽記曰：謖臨終與亮書曰：「明公視謖猶子，謖視明公猶父，原深惟殛鯀興禹之義，使平生之交不虧於此，謖雖死無恨於黃壤也。」〈The Xiangyang ji records Ma Su’s dying letter: “You have treated me as a son and I have honored you as a father. Remember how Yu rose though Gun was punished—do not let our bond end in bitterness; then I can rest easy beneath the sod.”

亮自臨祭，待其遺孤若平生。 Zhuge Liang conducted the rites himself and cared for Ma Su’s children as though nothing had changed.

且先主誡謖之不可大用，豈不謂其非才也？ Liu Bei warned that Ma Su must not be heavily trusted—was that not a verdict on his limitations?

亮受誡而不獲奉承，明謖之難廢也。 Zhuge Liang ignored that warning—proof that he could not bring himself to sideline Ma Su.