Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Statesman and General

Xie An 謝安

Attested AD 360 - AD 396

Passages: 9
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Xie An was a statesman and General.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 360 to AD 396 嘗與兄徽之、操之俱詣謝安
Dated from the passage context · Book of Jin 80, passages 258-259
AD 376 to AD 396 太元中
Dated from the passage context · Book of Jin 80, passage 281

Career and standing

General Who Guards the Army 衛將軍
Promoted
Directly stated · Book of Jin 80, passage 280

Places and affiliations

Polity Id eastern-jin · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Jin 80, passages 258, 281

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · With Wang Xianzhi (王獻之)
Directly stated · Book of Jin 80, passages 281-283, 287
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Jin 80, passages 259-260, 289

Events and relationships

Invited as chief clerk
Appointment · Patron · With Wang Xianzhi (王獻之)
Directly stated · Book of Jin 80, passage 279
Ranked the Wang brothers
Judgment · Assessor · With Wang Xianzhi (王獻之)
Directly stated · Book of Jin 80, passages 259-260
Sought Taiji Hall plaque
AD 376 to AD 396 太元中 · Artistic · Requester · With Wang Xianzhi (王獻之)
Dated from the passage context · Book of Jin 80, passages 281, 286

References in the histories

Search passages

History

9 passages

Book of Jin, Chapter 80Volume 80 Biographies 50: Wang Xizhi · 9 passages

嘗與兄徽之、操之俱詣謝安，二兄多言俗事，獻之寒溫而已。 Once he went with Huizhi and Caozhi to visit Xie An. The elder brothers talked of trivial matters; Xianzhi offered only polite greetings.

既出，客問安王氏兄弟優劣，安曰：「小者佳。」 After they left, a guest asked which brother was superior. Xie An said, "The youngest."

客問其故，安曰：「吉人之辭寡，以其少言，故知之。」 Asked why, he said, "Good men say little; his silence told me."

謝安甚欽愛之，請為長史。 Xie An admired him deeply and appointed him chief clerk.

安進號衛將軍，復為長史。 When Xie An was promoted to General Who Guards the Army, Xianzhi again served as his chief clerk.

太元中，新起太極殿，安欲使獻之題榜，以為萬代寶，而難言之，試謂曰：「魏時陵雲殿榜未題，而匠者誤釘之，不可下，乃使韋仲將懸橙書之。 During the Taiyuan era the new Hall of the Supreme Ultimate was raised. Xie An wanted Xianzhi to write the hall plaque—a treasure for all time—but hesitated to ask outright. He began obliquely: "Under Wei, the Lingyun Hall plaque was nailed up before anyone had brushed the characters. When the board could not be removed, they had Wei Dan hoisted on a scaffold to write it.

安遂不之逼。 Xie An dropped the matter.

安又問曰：「君書何如君家尊？」 Xie An asked again, "How does your calligraphy compare with your father's?"

安曰：「外論不爾。」 Xie An said, "Outsiders do not say so."