Ancient China · Named Individual

Sima Niu 司馬牛

First attested BC 500; died BC 481

Passages: 2
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

Sima Niu was a Named Individual.

Life and dates

Death

BC 481 哀十四年
At Qiuyu / Yu city 丘輿
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 122, passage 111

Attested activity

BC 500 司馬牛受桓魋之罰
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 143, passage 163
BC 481 哀十四年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 122, passage 111

Family

Sibling of Huan Tui (桓魋)
brother 兄弟 · Uncertain parentage · Uncertain siblings
Uncertain · Draft History of Qing 143, passage 163

Key source chapters

References in the histories

Book of Later Han, Chapter 122Volume 111: Commanderies and States Part Three · 1 passage

有东阳城。呂氏春秋夏孔甲遊田於東陽萯山。左傳哀八年「克東陽」。襄十九年城武城，杜預曰南城縣。哀十四年司馬牛葬丘輿，杜預曰縣西北有輿城。 Dongyang city was listed in the same entry. The Lüshi chunqiu says Xia Kong Jia hunted at Mount Fushan in Dongyang; the Zuo Tradition records in Duke Ai 8 that someone “captured Dongyang.” For the walling of Wucheng in Duke Xiang 19, Du Yu identifies the place as Nancheng county, and for Sima Niu's burial at Qiuyu in Duke Ai 14, he notes Yu city northwest of the county.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 143Volume 143 Treatises 118: Penal Law 2 · 1 passage

夫以一人之故而波及全家，以無罪之人而科以重罪，漢文帝以為不正之法反害於民，北魏崔挺嘗曰『一人有罪，延及闔門，則司馬牛受桓魋之罰，柳下惠膺盜跖之誅，不亦哀哉』，其言皆篤論也。 Punishing an entire family for one person's crime and imposing heavy penalties on the innocent—Emperor Wen of Han called such law harmful to the people; Cui Ting of Northern Wei wrote that when one person's guilt reaches the whole household, "Sima Niu would suffer Huan Tui's punishment and Liu Xiahui would bear Zhi's execution—is this not lamentable?"—sound judgment all.