Mei Gao (枚皋) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Mei Gao as a courtier, official, poet, and writer. This record brings together 5 passages from 3 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Mei Gao	枚皋	Mei Gao
Personal name	Mei Gao	枚皋	Mei Gao
Surname		枚	Mei
Given		皋	Gao

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0258

Roles

Courtier
Official
Poet
Writer

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 漢興六十餘載 · Western Interval: Start: BC 141 · End: BC 87
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:068:s0254, hanshu:068:s0258

Places and affiliations

Label: Western Han / 漢 · Relation: served
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0258

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: jest / wit (滑稽) · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0258

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 68Volume 58: Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi and Er Kuan · 1 passage

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漢之得人，於茲為盛，儒雅則公孫弘、董仲舒、兒寬，篤行則石建、石慶，質直則汲黯、卜式，推賢則韓安國、鄭當時，定令則趙禹、張湯，文章則司馬遷、相如，滑稽則東方朔、枚皋，應對則嚴助、硃買臣，歷數則唐都、洛下閎，協律則李延年，運籌則桑弘羊，奉使則張騫、蘇武，將率則衛青、霍去病，受遺則霍光、金日磾，其餘不可勝紀。 Never did the dynasty gather talent so thickly: Hong, Dong, and Kuan for classical breadth; the Shi brothers for steadfast service; Ji An and Bu Shi for blunt loyalty; Han Anguo and Zheng Dangshi for lifting others; Zhao Yu and Zhang Tang for codifying law; Sima Qian and Xiangru for voice; jesters Dongfang Shuo and Mei Gao; debaters Yan Zhu and Zhu Maichen; calendar-makers Tang Du and Luoxia Hong; the harmonist Li Yan'nian; the reckoner Sang Hongyang; envoys Zhang Qian and Su Wu; blades Wei Qing and Huo Qubing; regents Huo Guang and Jin Midi—and a cloud of names besides.

Book of Han, Chapter 74Volume 64a: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 1 · 3 passages

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後得朱買臣、吾丘壽王、司馬相如、主父偃、徐樂嚴安、東方朔、枚皋、膠倉、終軍、嚴蔥奇等，並在左右。 He soon gathered Zhu Maichen, Wuqiu Shouwang, Sima Xiangru, Zhufu Yan, Xu Le, Yan An, Dongfang Shuo, Mei Gao, Jiao Cang, Zhong Jun, Yan Congqi, and the rest in his inner circle.

其尤親幸者，東方朔、枚皋、嚴助、吾丘壽王、司馬相如。 Those he favored most were Dongfang Shuo, Mei Gao, Yan Zhu, Wuqiu Shouwang, and Sima Xiangru.

朔、皋不根持論，上頗俳優畜之。 Shuo and Mei Gao traded in wit rather than weighty argument, so the emperor treated them much like court entertainers.

Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 1 passage

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時方外事胡、越，內興制度，國家多事，自公孫弘以下至司馬遷，皆奉使方外，或為郡國守相至公卿，而朔嘗至太中大夫，後常為郎，與枚皋、郭舍人俱在左右，詼啁而已。 While the empire was busy with the Xiongnu and the Yue on the frontier and with new institutions at home, everyone from Gongsun Hong down to Sima Qian was dispatched abroad or made a regional governor or rose to the highest offices. Shuo had briefly reached grand counselor of the palace, but he usually held only the modest rank of gentleman-attendant and, with Mei Gao and Guo Sheren, hovered at the ruler's elbow cracking jokes.