Qin and Han · Rebel

Wu Guang 吳廣

Died BC 209

Passages: 19
Chapters: 4
Histories: 2

Overview

The translated histories identify Wu Guang as a general and rebel. This record brings together 19 passages from 4 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Wu Guang	吳廣	Wu Guang
Courtesy	Shu	叔	Shū
Personal	Wu Guang	吳廣	Wú Guǎng
Personal name	Wu Guang	吳廣	Wú Guǎng
Alternate	Wu Shu	吳叔	Wú Shū

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · shiji:048:s0002
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · shiji:113:s0004

Roles

General
Rebel

Life and dates

Death

Action: executed under forged royal order · Responsible Person Id: Tian Zang (田臧) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 二世元年 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0097, shiji:048:s0100

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 二世元年 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0002
Source Date: Text: 二世時 · Western Interval: Start: BC 209 · End: BC 207
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:113:s0004
Source Date: Text: 陳涉起 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:041:s0031

Career and standing

Label: commandant / 都尉 · Action: appointed
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0042
Label: squad leader / 屯長 · Action: appointed
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0008
Title: acting king / 假王 · Action: appointed
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0054
Status: conscript for garrison duty · Action: selected
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0008

Places and affiliations

Place: Yangxia / 陽夏
Explicit · shiji:048:s0002

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: co-speaker · Topic: rallying the conscripts to revolt · Co Speaker Person Id: Chen She (陳涉)
Explicit · shiji:048:s0035, shiji:048:s0036, shiji:048:s0037

Events and relationships

Kind: killing · Role: attacker · Action: killed a commandant after provoking a confrontation · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 二世元年 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0030, shiji:048:s0031, shiji:048:s0032, shiji:048:s0033
Kind: omen-making · Role: performer · Action: made the nocturnal fox-cry proclamation · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 二世元年 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0024, shiji:048:s0027, shiji:048:s0028, shiji:048:s0029
Kind: revolt · Role: co-leader · Action: planned uprising · Other Person Id: Chen She (陳涉) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 二世元年 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0011, shiji:048:s0020
Kind: rebellion · Role: leader · Action: rose-in-revolt
Explicit · shiji:113:s0004

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: habitually kind to people and supported by many soldiers · Provenance: Mode: historian-narrative
Explicit · shiji:048:s0030

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 41Volume 32: Zhang Er and Chen Yu · 1 passage

今以張大楚，王陳，使吳廣、周文將卒百萬西擊秦。 Now he has enlarged Chu, made Chen his royal seat, and sent Wu Guang and Zhou Wen to lead a million troops west to attack Qin.

Book of Han, Chapter 75Volume 64b: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 2 · 1 passage

陳勝、吳廣舉陳，武臣、張耳舉趙，項梁舉吳，田儋舉齊，景駒舉郢，周市舉魏，韓廣舉燕，窮山通谷，豪士並起，不可勝載也。 Chen Sheng and Wu Guang seized Chen, Wu Chen and Zhang Er raised Zhao, Xiang Liang rose in Wu, Tian Dan in Qi, Jing Ju in Ying, Zhou Shi in Wei, Han Guang in Yan—bold leaders sprang up in every ravine and pass, too many to list.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 48House of Chen She · 16 passages

吳廣者，陽夏人也，字叔。 Wu Guang was a native of Yangxia, styled Shu.

陳勝、吳廣皆次當行，為屯長。 Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were both among those called up, and they were appointed as squad leaders.

陳勝、吳廣乃謀曰：「今亡亦死，舉大計亦死，等死，死國可乎？」 Chen Sheng and Wu Guang conferred in secret: 'If we flee now, we die. If we rise up in revolt, we also die. Since death awaits us either way, would it not be better to die fighting for our country?'

吳廣以為然。 Wu Guang agreed.

陳勝、吳廣喜，念鬼，曰：「此教我先威眾耳。」 Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were delighted. Reflecting on the mention of spirits, they said, 'He is telling us to first overawe the men with supernatural signs.'

又彊令吳廣之次所旁叢祠中，夜篝火，狐鳴呼曰「大楚興，陳勝王」。 Then they had Wu Guang steal into a shrine in a thicket near the camp at night. There he lit a fire inside a basket and, imitating the cry of a fox, called out, 'Great Chu shall rise again! Chen Sheng shall be king!'

吳廣素愛人，士卒多為用者。 Wu Guang had always treated others with kindness, and many of the soldiers were devoted to him.

將尉醉，廣故數言欲亡，忿恚尉，令辱之，以激怒其眾。 When the commanding officer was drunk, Wu Guang deliberately spoke again and again of deserting, provoking the officer into a fury so that he would publicly humiliate him — all to stir the anger of the men.

尉果笞廣。 The officer did indeed have Wu Guang flogged.

尉劍挺，廣起，奪而殺尉。 When the officer drew his sword, Wu Guang sprang up, seized it, and killed him.

陳勝自立為將軍，吳廣為都尉。 Chen Sheng declared himself general, and Wu Guang was made commandant.

乃以吳叔為假王，監諸將以西擊滎陽。 Wu Guang was appointed acting king to supervise the generals in the westward campaign against Xingyang.

吳廣圍滎陽。 Wu Guang laid siege to Xingyang.

李由為三川守，守滎陽，吳叔弗能下。 Li You, the Governor of Sanchuan, defended Xingyang, and Wu Guang could not take it.

今假王驕，不知兵權，不可與計，非誅之，事恐敗。」 The acting king has grown arrogant and knows nothing of military strategy. It is impossible to plan with him. Unless we remove him, our cause is doomed.'

因相與矯王令以誅吳叔，獻其首於陳王。 So they forged the king's orders to execute Wu Guang and presented his head to the King of Chen.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 113Treatise on the Nanyue · 1 passage

至二世時，南海尉任囂病且死，召龍川令趙佗語曰：「聞陳勝等作亂，秦為無道，天下苦之，項羽、劉季、陳勝、吳廣等州郡各共興軍聚眾，虎爭天下，中國擾亂，未知所安，豪傑畔秦相立。 When the Second Emperor's reign began, the Commandant of Nanhai, Ren Xiao, fell gravely ill and lay near death. He summoned Zhao Tuo, the Magistrate of Longchuan, and told him: "I have heard that Chen Sheng and the others have risen in revolt. Qin has ruled without the Way, and the whole realm suffers for it. Xiang Yu, Liu Ji, Chen Sheng, Wu Guang, and men across the commanderies and districts have all raised armies and gathered followers, fighting over the empire like tigers. The Central Plains are thrown into chaos, and no one knows where peace will come from. Great men everywhere have turned against Qin and set themselves up as rival lords.