Ancient China · General

Wu Qi 吳起

Attested BC 440 - BC 381

Passages: 61
Chapters: 12
Histories: 6

Overview

The translated histories identify Wu Qi as an administrator, general, statesman, and strategist. This record brings together 61 passages from 12 chapters across 6 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Wu Qi	吳起	Wu Qi
Title	Lord Wu	吳公
Given	Qi	起	Qi
Surname	Wu	吳	Wú
Personal	Wu	吳	Wú
Surname	Wu	吳	Wu
Personal name	Wu Qi	吳起	Wú Qǐ
Personal name	Wu Qi	吳	Wu
Personal name	Wu Qi	吳
Title	Wu Qi	吳子	Wu Zi
Personal name	Wu Qi	吳起	Wu Qi
Personal	Wu Qi	吳起	Wú Qǐ
Alternate	Wuzi	吳	Wu

Identity

Historicity: Uncertain
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:103:s0052, houhanshu:031:s0156, houhanshu:130:s0124, liangshu:038:s0275
Sex: male
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:062:s0064, liangshu:020:s0198, sanguozhi:062:s0174, shiji:048:s0170, shiji:065:s0075
Value: male
Strongly inferred · shiji:074:s0011

Roles

Administrator
General
Statesman
Strategist
Student
Writer

Life and dates

Death

Manner: executed
Explicit · hanshu:025:s0102
Manner: shot and stabbed / 射刺 · Place: Chu / 楚
Explicit · shiji:065:s0154

Attested activity

Qualitative: legendary antiquity
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:062:s0064
Source Date: Text: 事魯君…楚悼王 · Western Interval: Start: BC 410 · End: BC 381
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:065:s0076, shiji:065:s0154
Source Date: Text: 吳、孫《兵法》 · Western Year: c. BC 400
Explicit · houhanshu:130:s0124
Source Date: Text: 吳起 · Western Interval: Start: BC 440 · End: BC 381
Explicit event contextual date · sanguozhi:062:s0174
Source Date: Text: 吳起守西河 · Western Interval: Start: BC 412 · End: BC 381
Strongly inferred · liangshu:038:s0275, liangshu:038:s0276
Source Date: Text: 孫、吳用兵 · Western Year: BC 400
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:103:s0052
Source Date: Text: 悼王死…射刺吳起 · Western Year: BC 381
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:065:s0153, shiji:065:s0154
Source Date: Text: 戰國 · Western Year: BC 400
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:025:s0058
Source Date: Text: 戰國之世 · Western Interval: Start: BC 440 · End: BC 381
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:031:s0156
Source Date: Text: 戰國吳起 · Western Year: c. BC 400
Explicit · liangshu:020:s0198
Source Date: Text: 戰國時期 · Western Year: c. BC 390
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0170
Source Date: Text: 楚、魏用吳起 · Western Interval: Start: BC 389 · End: BC 381
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:074:s0011

Family

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

Child of Mother of Wu Qi (母)
Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: mother
Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son
Spouse of Wife of Wu Qi (齊女)
Kinship Term: wife / 妻 · Union Category: marriage · Subject Role: husband · Object Role: wife · Parentage: biological

Career and standing

Label: chancellor of Chu / 相楚 · Action: appointed
Explicit · shiji:065:s0145
Label: general / 將 · Action: appointed
Explicit · shiji:065:s0079, shiji:065:s0095
Label: governor of Xihe / 西河守 · Action: appointed
Explicit · shiji:065:s0105, shiji:065:s0115
Status: dismissed · Action: entered
Explicit · shiji:065:s0091

Places and affiliations

Polity: Chu / 楚 · Relation: served
Explicit · shiji:065:s0145, shiji:074:s0011
Polity: Lu / 魯 · Relation: served
Explicit · shiji:065:s0076, shiji:065:s0079
Polity: Wei / 衛 · Relation: native-of
Explicit · shiji:065:s0075
Polity: Wei / 魏 · Relation: associated-with
Explicit · hanshu:025:s0058
Polity: Wei / 魏 · Relation: served
Explicit · shiji:065:s0095, shiji:065:s0106, shiji:074:s0011
Place: Wei / 衛
Explicit · shiji:065:s0075
Place: Chu / 楚 · Relation: fled-to
Explicit · shiji:065:s0144
Place: Xihe / 西河 · Relation: posted-to
Explicit · shiji:065:s0105, shiji:065:s0115

Learning and skills

Teacher Person Id: Zengzi (曾子)
Explicit · shiji:065:s0076
Skill: military affairs / 用兵 · Level: renowned
Explicit · shiji:065:s0075, shiji:065:s0094

Works and attributed material

Work: military writings / 篇籍 · Relation: associated-author
Explicit · hanshu:025:s0058
Work: Art of War / 兵法 · Relation: author
Explicit · houhanshu:130:s0124
Work: Wu Qi's Art of War / 吳起兵法 · Relation: author
Explicit · shiji:065:s0157
Kind: document · Role: author · Quoted: true · Text: With leather screen and canopy, it is called the armored escort chariot. / 有巾有蓋，謂之武剛車。 · Other Person Id: Sun (孫)
Explicit · houhanshu:130:s0124
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Tian Wen (田文)
Explicit · shiji:065:s0117, shiji:065:s0119, shiji:065:s0121, shiji:065:s0123, shiji:065:s0125, shiji:065:s0128
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Marquis Wu of Wei (武侯)
Explicit · shiji:065:s0108, shiji:065:s0109, shiji:065:s0110, shiji:065:s0111, shiji:065:s0112, shiji:065:s0113

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: attacked Qin and captured five cities
Explicit · shiji:065:s0095
Kind: military-strategic · Role: strategist · Action: captured enemies and established victories
Explicit · hanshu:025:s0058
Kind: reform · Role: chancellor · Action: clarified laws and strengthened Chu army
Explicit · shiji:065:s0146, shiji:065:s0147, shiji:065:s0148, shiji:065:s0149, shiji:065:s0150
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: commanded the armies of the six states
Explicit · shiji:048:s0170
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: defeated Qi for Lu
Explicit · shiji:065:s0080
Kind: assassination · Role: victim · Action: killed after King Dao died · Other Person Id: King Dao of Chu (悼王) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 悼王死 · Western Year: BC 381
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:065:s0153, shiji:065:s0154
Kind: homicide · Role: perpetrator · Action: killed more than thirty slanderers and left Wei · Place: Wei city gate / 衛郭門
Explicit · shiji:065:s0082
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: western river achievement depended on heavy employment · Place: western river / 西河 · Provenance: Mode: quoted-speech · Speaker Person Id: Emperor Wu of Liang (梁武帝)
Explicit · liangshu:038:s0276
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: won victories against weak enemies
Explicit · shiji:074:s0011
Kind: hypothetical · Role: administrator · Action: would have had no success if only nurturing the people · Provenance: Mode: quoted-speech · Speaker Person Id: Emperor Wu of Liang (梁武帝)
Explicit · liangshu:038:s0275
Relation: student-of · Person Id: Zengzi (曾子)
Explicit · shiji:065:s0076, shiji:065:s0084
Relation: co-author-with · Person Id: Sun (孫)
Explicit · houhanshu:130:s0124

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: greedy and fond of women but unmatched in using troops · Provenance: Mode: speaker-judgment · Speaker Person Id: Li Kui (李悝)
Explicit · shiji:065:s0094
Assessment: harsh, cruel, lacking benevolence · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment · Source Person Id: Sima Qian (太史公)
Explicit · shiji:065:s0160
Assessment: skilled, incorruptible, fair, wins soldiers hearts · Provenance: Mode: narrative
Explicit · shiji:065:s0105
Assessment: suspicious and cruel · Provenance: Mode: named-source-report
Explicit · shiji:065:s0081

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 25Volume 23: Treatise on Punishment and Law · 4 passages

雄桀之士因勢輔時，作為權詐以相傾覆，吳有孫武，齊有孫臏，魏有吳起，秦有商鞅，皆禽敵立勝，垂著篇籍。 Strategists such as Sun Wu, Sun Bin, Wu Qi, and Shang Yang turned military thought toward power and deception, with influential textual legacies.

世方爭於功利，而馳說者以孫、吳為宗。 With utility dominant, military discourse canonized the Sun-Wu tradition.

時唯孫卿明於王道，而非之曰：「彼孫、吳者，上勢利而貴變詐； Only Xunzi was clear on the kingly way and criticized them, saying: 'Those Sun and Wu strategists esteem advantage and prize changing deception;

孫、吳、商、白之徒，皆身誅戮於前，而功滅亡於後。 The lineages of Sunzi, Wuzi, Shang Yang, and Bai Qi ended in violent ruin, and their victories did not endure.

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

十九學孫、吳兵法，戰陣之具，鉦鼓之教，亦誦二十二萬言。 At nineteen he mastered Sunzi and Wuzi on war—formations, gongs, and drums—and committed another two hundred twenty thousand characters to memory.

Book of Han, Chapter 103Volume 91: Usurers · 1 passage

故曰：「吾治生猶伊尹、呂尚之謀，孫、吳用兵，商鞅行法是也。 He liked to say, "Building a fortune takes the cunning of Yi Yin or Lü Wang, the timing of Sun and Wu in using troops, and the ruthlessness of Shang Yang's code.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 31Volume 28a: Biographies of Huan Tan; Feng Yan · 1 passage

惟大將軍開日月之明，發深淵之慮，監《六經》之論，觀孫、吳之策，省群議之是非，詳眾士之白黑，以超《周南》之跡，垂《甘棠》之風，令夫功烈施於千載，富貴傳於無窮。 Only open your mind like sun and moon, sound the Six Classics and Sun Wu's art, sift counsel true from false, men loyal from hollow, outshine the southern Zhou, leave a Duke of Shao's sweet-pear fame, and your glory will span the ages.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 130Volume 119: Travel and Dress Part One · 1 passage

吳、孫《兵法》云：「有巾有蓋，謂之武剛車。」 The military treatises of Wu and Sun record: “Add canopy and side screen and you have the armored escort wagon.”

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 62Volume 62 Book of Later Tang 38: Biographies 14: Meng Fangli, Zhang Wenli, Dong Zhang · 1 passage

每對鎔自言有將才，孫、吳、韓、白，莫己若也。 He told Rong repeatedly that as a commander he stood with Sun Wu, Wu Qi, Han Xin, and Bai Qi—and that none surpassed him.

Book of Liang, Chapter 20Volume 20: Liu Lijian; Chen Bozhi · 1 passage

所以廉公之思趙將，吳子之泣西河，人之情也。 So the Duke of Lian yearned for Zhao's general; Wu Qi wept for the western river—such is the human heart.

Book of Liang, Chapter 38Volume 38: Zhu Yi; He Chen · 2 passages

吳起育民，必無成功。 If Wu Qi had only nurtured the people, he would never have succeeded.

若使吳起而不重用，則西河之功廢。 Had Wu Qi not been used as he deserved, the western river would never have been won.

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 62Volume 62: Book of Wu 17: Biographies of Shi Yi and Hu Zong · 1 passage

死而弗義，不去何為!樂毅之出，吳起之走，君子傷其不遇，未有非之者也。 To die without justice—why not leave? When Yue Yi left and Wu Qi fled, gentlemen mourned their ill treatment; none blamed them.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 48House of Chen She · 1 passage

於是六國之士有甯越、徐尚、蘇秦、杜赫之屬為之謀，齊明、周聚、陳軫、邵滑、樓緩、翟景、蘇厲、樂毅之徒通其意，吳起、孫臏、帶他、兒良、王廖、田忌、廉頗、趙奢之倫制其兵。 The six states thus had men like Ning Yue, Xu Shang, Su Qin, and Du He to devise their strategies; Qi Ming, Zhou Ju, Chen Zhen, Shao Hua, Lou Huan, Di Jing, Su Li, and Yue Yi to serve as their intermediaries; and Wu Qi, Sun Bin, Dai Tuo, Ni Liang, Wang Liao, Tian Ji, Lian Po, and Zhao She to command their armies.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 65Biographies of Sun Tzu and Wu Qi · 46 passages

吳起者，衛人也，好用兵。 Wu Qi was a man of Wei who loved military affairs.

齊人攻魯，魯欲將吳起，吳起取齊女為妻，而魯疑之。 When Qi attacked Lu, Lu wanted to appoint Wu Qi as general, but because Wu Qi had married a Qi woman, Lu suspected him.

吳起於是欲就名，遂殺其妻，以明不與齊也。 Wu Qi then sought to establish his reputation, so he killed his wife to show that he had no tie to Qi.

魯人或惡吳起曰：「起之為人，猜忍人也。 Some men of Lu spoke ill of Wu Qi, saying, “In his conduct, he is a suspicious and cruel man.

其少時，家累千金，游仕不遂，遂破其家，鄉黨笑之，吳起殺其謗己者三十餘人，而東出衛郭門。 In his youth, his family had accumulated a thousand jin. He sought office but did not succeed, exhausting his family fortune. When the villagers laughed at him, Wu Qi killed more than thirty of those who had slandered him and went east through the Wei city gate.

與其母訣，齧臂而盟曰：『起不為卿相，不復入衛。』 He bid farewell to his mother, bit his arm, and swore: “If I do not become a minister or chancellor, I will not return to Wei.”

居頃之，其母死，起終不歸。 After some time, his mother died, but Wu Qi did not go home.

曾子薄之，而與起絕。 Zengzi despised him for this and broke off relations with him.

起乃之魯，學兵法以事魯君。 Wu Qi then went to Lu, studied military methods, and served the Lord of Lu.

魯君疑之，起殺妻以求將。 The Lord of Lu suspected him, so Wu Qi killed his wife to seek the generalship.

魯君疑之，謝吳起。 The lord of Lu grew suspicious and dismissed Wu Qi.

吳起於是聞魏文侯賢，欲事之。 Wu Qi then heard of Marquis Wen of Wei’s worthiness and wished to enter his service.

文侯問李克曰：「吳起何如人哉？」 Marquis Wen asked Li Ke: “What kind of man is Wu Qi?”

李克曰：「起貪而好色，然用兵司馬穰苴不能過也。」 Li Ke said: “Wu Qi is greedy and fond of women, but in using troops, even Sima Rangju cannot surpass him.”

起之為將，與士卒最下者同衣食。 When Wu Qi was general, he shared clothing and food with the lowest soldiers.

卒有病疽者，起為吮之。 When a soldier had a festering sore, Wu Qi sucked out the pus for him.

往年吳公吮其父，其父戰不旋踵，遂死於敵。 In previous years Lord Wu sucked my husband's sore, and my husband fought without turning back until he died on the battlefield.

吳公今又吮其子，妾不知其死所矣。 Now Lord Wu has sucked my son's sore as well. I do not know where my son will die.

文侯以吳起善用兵，廉平，盡能得士心，乃以為西河守，以拒秦、韓。 Marquis Wen considered Wu Qi skilled in using troops, incorruptible, fair, and fully able to win the soldiers’ hearts, so he appointed him governor of Xihe to resist Qin and Han.

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!”

起對曰：「在德不在險。 Wu Qi replied: “It depends on virtue, not on natural defenses.

（即封）吳起為西河守，甚有聲名。 Thereupon Wu Qi was appointed governor of Xihe, and he gained great renown.

吳起不悅，謂田文曰：「請與子論功，可乎？」 Wu Qi was displeased and said to Tian Wen: “May I compare achievements with you?”

起曰：「將三軍，使士卒樂死，敵國不敢謀，子孰與起？」 Wu Qi said: “Commanding the three armies, making soldiers gladly die for you, and keeping enemy states from daring to plot—who compares to me?”

起曰：「治百官，親萬民，實府庫，子孰與起？」 Wu Qi said: “Managing the hundred officials, drawing close to the people, and filling the treasuries—who compares to me?”

起曰：「守西河而秦兵不敢東鄉，韓趙賓從，子孰與起？」 Wu Qi said, “Guarding Xihe so that Qin troops dare not advance east, and making Han and Zhao come as guests—who compares to me?”

起曰：「此三者，子皆出吾下，而位加吾上，何也？」 Wu Qi said: “In these three matters you are all below me, yet your position is above mine. Why?”

起默然良久，曰：「屬之子矣。」 Wu Qi was silent for a long time, then said, “It should be entrusted to you.”

吳起乃自知弗如田文。 Wu Qi then realized that he was not Tian Wen’s equal.

田文既死，公叔為相，尚魏公主，而害吳起。 After Tian Wen died, Gongshu became chancellor, married a Wei princess, and plotted against Wu Qi.

公叔之僕曰：「起易去也。」 Gongshu's servant said, “Wu Qi will be easy to drive away.”

其仆曰：「吳起為人節廉而自喜名也。 His servant said, “Wu Qi is frugal and takes pride in his reputation.

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.'

君因召吳起而與歸，即令公主怒而輕君。 My lord should summon Wu Qi to your house, and then have the princess show anger and treat you contemptuously.

吳起見公主之賤君也，則必辭。」 When Wu Qi sees the princess treating you with contempt, he will certainly decline.”

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.

吳起懼得罪，遂去，即之楚。 Fearing punishment, Wu Qi left and went to Chu.

楚悼王素聞起賢，至則相楚。 King Dao of Chu had long heard that Wu Qi was worthy; when he arrived, he was made chancellor of Chu.

故楚之貴戚盡欲害吳起。 For this reason, the nobles of Chu all wanted to harm Wu Qi.

及悼王死，宗室大臣作亂而攻吳起，吳起走之王尸而伏之。 When King Dao died, the royal clansmen and great ministers rebelled and attacked Wu Qi. Wu Qi fled to the king's corpse and threw himself upon it.

擊起之徒因射刺吳起，并中悼王。 Those who attacked him shot and stabbed Wu Qi, and also struck King Dao.

悼王既葬，太子立，乃使令尹盡誅射吳起而并中王尸者。 After King Dao was buried, the crown prince ascended and ordered the chief minister to execute everyone who had shot at Wu Qi and struck the king’s corpse.

坐射起而夷宗死者七十餘家。 More than seventy families were executed, and their clans were exterminated, for shooting at Wu Qi.

太史公曰：世俗所稱師旅，皆道孫子十三篇，吳起兵法，世多有，故弗論，論其行事所施設者。 The Grand Historian says: The military works commonly cited in the world all discuss Sun Tzu’s thirteen chapters and Wu Qi’s Art of War. These circulate widely, so I will not discuss them here.

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.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 74Biographies of Mengzi and Xun Qing · 1 passage

楚、魏用吳起，戰勝弱敵； Chu and Wei employed Wu Qi and won victories against weak enemies;