Marquis Wu of Wei (武侯)

Overview

The translated histories identify Marquis Wu of Wei as a ruler. This record brings together 9 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	Marquis Wu of Wei	武侯	Wǔ Hóu
Title	Marquis Wu	武侯
Title	Marquis Wu of Wei	魏武侯

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Title only
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · shiji:065:s0106

Roles

Ruler

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 武侯 · Western Interval: Start: BC 395 · End: BC 370
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:065:s0106, shiji:065:s0142

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Child of Marquis Wen of Wei (魏文侯)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father
Kin of Princess of Wei (魏公主)
Kinship Term: Wei princess / 魏公主 · Subject Role: marquis · Object Role: princess

References in the histories

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

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 65Biographies of Sun Tzu and Wu Qi · 9 passages

Open chapter

魏文侯既卒，起事其子武侯。 After Marquis Wen of Wei died, Wu Qi served his son Marquis Wu.

武侯浮西河而下，中流，顧而謂吳起曰：「美哉乎山河之固，此魏國之寶也！」 Marquis Wu floated down the Yellow River, and in midstream he turned to Wu Qi and said: “How beautiful are these mountain and river defenses! This is Wei's treasure!”

武侯曰：「善。」 Marquis Wu said: “Excellent.”

君因先與武侯言曰：『夫吳起賢人也，而侯之國小，又與彊秦壤界，臣竊恐起之無留心也。』 My lord should first speak to Marquis Wu, saying, 'Wu Qi is a worthy man, but your lordship's state is small and borders powerful Qin. I privately fear that he may not remain devoted to Wei.'

武侯即曰：『柰何？』 Marquis Wu will immediately say, 'What then?'

君因謂武侯曰：『試延以公主，起有留心則必受之。 My lord should then say to Marquis Wu, 'Try offering him the princess in marriage. If he is devoted, he will certainly accept.

於是吳起見公主之賤魏相，果辭魏武侯。 So Wu Qi saw the princess treating the Wei chancellor with contempt, and he indeed declined Marquis Wu's offer.

武侯疑之而弗信也。 Marquis Wu suspected a plot but did not fully believe it.

吳起說武侯以形勢不如德，然行之於楚，以刻暴少恩亡其軀。 Wu Qi explained to Marquis Wu that terrain was less important than virtue, yet when he put his ideas into practice in Chu he was harsh, cruel, and lacking in benevolence, and so he lost his life.