Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Poet and Official

Yan Yanzhi 顏延年

Yan Yannian

Died AD 456

Passages
45
Chapters
5
Histories
2

Overview

The translated histories identify Yan Yanzhi as an envoy, official, poet, and scholar. This record brings together 45 passages from 5 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

TypeEnglishChinesePinyin
Personal Yan Yanzhi 顏延年 Yan Yannian
Posthumous name Xianzi 憲子 Xiànzǐ
Surname Yan 顏 Yán
Personal Yan Yanzhi 顏延年 Yán Yánnián
Personal name Yan Yanzhi 顏延之 Yán Yánzhī
Personal Yan Yanzhi 顏延之
Personal Yan Yanzhi 顏延之 Yán Yánzhī
Courtesy Yannian 延年 Yánnián
Courtesy name Yannian 延年 Yánnián
Given name Yanzhi 延之 Yánzhī

Identity

Historicity
Historical
Identification
Named
Sex
Male

Roles

  • Envoy
  • Official
  • Poet
  • Scholar
  • Teacher
  • Writer

Life and dates

Death

  • Date Context: Source Date: Text: 孝建三年 · Western Year: AD 456
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0308

Age

  • Age: 30 · Reckoning: source-stated · Status: unmarried
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0008
  • Age: 73 · Reckoning: sui · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 孝建三年 · Western Year: AD 456
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0308

Attested activity

  • Source Date: Text: 義熙元年 · Regnal Year: 1 · Western Year: AD 405
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0060
  • Source Date: Text: 義熙十二年 · Regnal Year: 12 · Western Year: AD 416
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0012
  • Source Date: Text: 劉湛誅 · Reign Id: liu-song-yuanjia · Regnal Year: 17 · Western Year: AD 440
    Explicit event contextual date · songshu:073:s0259
  • Source Date: Text: 二十九年 · Reign Id: liu-song-yuanjia · Regnal Year: 29 · Western Year: AD 452
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0279
  • Source Date: Text: 元嘉三年 · Reign Id: liu-song-yuanjia · Regnal Year: 3 · Western Year: AD 426
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0041
  • Source Date: Text: 明年致事 · Reign Id: liu-song-yuanjia · Regnal Year: 30 · Western Year: AD 453
    Explicit event contextual date · songshu:073:s0292, songshu:073:s0279
  • Source Date: Text: 元嘉四年 · Reign Id: liu-song-yuanjia · Regnal Year: 4 · Western Year: AD 427
    Explicit event contextual date · songshu:058:s0124
  • Source Date: Text: 世祖登阼 · Western Year: AD 453
    Explicit event contextual date · songshu:073:s0301
  • Source Date: Text: 使顏延之為詔 · Western Year: AD 453
    Explicit event contextual date · songshu:070:s0111
  • Source Date: Text: 元凶弒立 · Western Year: AD 453
    Explicit event contextual date · songshu:073:s0293
  • Source Date: Text: 元嘉三年後七載間 · Western Interval: Start: AD 426 · End: AD 433
    Strongly inferred · songshu:073:s0041, songshu:073:s0057, songshu:073:s0062
  • Source Date: Text: 劉宋 · Western Interval: Start: AD 420 · End: AD 479
    Explicit · nanqishu:047:s0102
  • Source Date: Text: 太宗即位 · Western Year: AD 465
    Explicit event contextual date · songshu:073:s0315
  • Source Date: Text: 孝建三年 · Western Year: AD 456
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0308
  • Source Date: Text: 永初中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 420 · End: AD 422
    Explicit event contextual date · songshu:073:s0015, songshu:073:s0016, songshu:073:s0017, songshu:073:s0018
  • Western Interval: Start: AD 424 · End: AD 453 · Source Date: Text: 琅邪顏延之書弔茂度曰：「賢弟子少
    Explicit · songshu:062:s0079

Family

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

  • Child of Yan Xian (顏顯)
    Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father
  • Parent of Yan Jun (顏竣)
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Object Birth Order: 1
  • Parent of Yan Ce (顏測)
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Object Birth Order: 2
  • Parent of Fu (㚟)
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Object Birth Order: 3
  • Sibling of Younger sister of Yan Yanzhi (顏延之妹)
    Kinship Term: younger sister / 妹 · Shared Parentage: full · Subject Relative Age: elder

Career and standing

  • Label: concurrent Attendant-in-Ordinary / 兼侍中 · Action: appointed-for-burial-duty · Authority Person Id: Liu Zhan (劉湛) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 義熙元年除身 · Regnal Year: 1 · Western Year: AD 405
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0060
  • Label: Acting Retainer / 行參軍 · Action: appointed · Authority Person Id: Liu Liu (劉柳)
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0011
  • Label: Erudite / 博士 · Action: appointed · Authority Person Id: Zheng Xianzhi (鄭鮮之)
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0013
  • Label: Censor-in-Chief / 御史中丞 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 劉湛誅 · Reign Id: liu-song-yuanjia · Regnal Year: 17 · Western Year: AD 440
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0259
  • Label: Consultant of the Rear Army / 後軍諮議參軍 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 劉湛誅 · Reign Id: liu-song-yuanjia · Regnal Year: 17 · Western Year: AD 440
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0259
  • Label: Grand Master of Splendid Happiness with Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon / 金紫光祿大夫 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 世祖登阼 · Western Year: AD 453
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0301
  • Label: Tutor to the Prince of Xiangdong / 湘東王師 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 世祖登阼 · Western Year: AD 453
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0301
  • Label: Grand Master of Splendor / 光祿大夫 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 元凶弒立 · Western Year: AD 453
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0293
  • Label: Regular Gentleman / 正員郎 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 少帝即位 · Western Year: AD 422
    Explicit event contextual date · songshu:073:s0022
  • Label: Attendant of the Crown Prince / 太子舍人 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 高祖受命 · Western Year: AD 420
    Explicit event contextual date · songshu:073:s0014
  • Label: Director of the National University / 國子祭酒 · Action: appointed
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0261
  • Label: Director of the Secretariat / 祕書監 · Action: appointed
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0272
  • Label: Grand Minister of Ceremonies / 太常 · Action: appointed
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0272
  • Label: Left Chief Clerk of the Minister of Education / 司徒左長史 · Action: appointed
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0261
  • Label: Superintendent of Guanglu / 光祿勳 · Action: appointed
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0272
  • Label: Colonel of Footsoldiers / 步兵校尉 · Action: held-concurrently · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 元嘉三年 · Reign Id: liu-song-yuanjia · Regnal Year: 3 · Western Year: AD 426
    Explicit event contextual date · songshu:073:s0041
  • Label: concurrent Secretariat duties / 兼中書 · Action: held-concurrently
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0022
  • Label: Administrator of Yongjia / 永嘉太守 · Action: posted-out-after-complaint · Authority Person Id: Prince Yikang of Pengcheng (彭城王義康)
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0045
  • Label: Administrator of Shi'an / 始安太守 · Action: posted-out
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0022
  • Label: Regular Attendant-in-Ordinary / 散騎常侍 · Action: posthumously-granted · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 孝建三年 · Western Year: AD 456
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0309
  • Label: Special Advancement / 特進 · Action: posthumously-granted · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 孝建三年 · Western Year: AD 456
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0309
  • Label: Vice Director of the Secretariat / 中書侍郎 · Action: recalled-and-appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 元嘉三年 · Reign Id: liu-song-yuanjia · Regnal Year: 3 · Western Year: AD 426
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0041
  • Label: Tutor to the Prince of Xiangdong / 師職 · Action: resigned
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0307
  • Label: Vice Grandee of the Crown Prince's Household / 太子中庶子 · Action: transferred · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 元嘉三年 · Reign Id: liu-song-yuanjia · Regnal Year: 3 · Western Year: AD 426
    Explicit event contextual date · songshu:073:s0041
  • Label: Acting Retainer in the Central Army of the Duke of Yuzhang's heir / 豫章公世子中軍行參軍 · Action: transferred
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0011
  • Label: Attendant of the Heir Apparent / 世子舍人 · Action: transferred
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0013
  • Label: Attendant-in-Ordinary of the Crown Prince / 太子中舍人 · Action: transferred
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0019
  • Label: Chief Clerk / 主簿 · Action: transferred
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0011
  • Label: Gentleman of the Ministry of Rites / 尚書儀曹郎 · Action: transferred
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0019
  • Label: Supernumerary Regular Attendant / 員外常侍 · Action: transferred
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0022
  • Label: thirty personal attendants / 親信三十人 · Action: granted
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0307
  • Status: withdrawal-from-public-life · Action: entered · Duration: Years: 7
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0057
  • Status: orphaned-young · Action: experienced
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0006
  • Status: poverty · Action: experienced
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0006, songshu:073:s0059
  • Status: resignation · Action: resigned · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 明年致事 · Reign Id: liu-song-yuanjia · Regnal Year: 30 · Western Year: AD 453
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0292
  • Label: replacement, removal to a minor post, and possible further punishment / 降延之為小邦；選代；隨事錄治 · Action: ordered · Authority Person Id: Liu Yilong (劉義隆)
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0052, songshu:073:s0053, songshu:073:s0054
  • Label: removal from office / 免所居官 · Action: removed · Authority Person Id: Emperor Wen of Song (宋文帝)
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0270, songshu:073:s0271

Places and affiliations

Learning and skills

  • Skill: wide reading and literary composition / 好讀書，無所不覽，文章之美 · Level: foremost of his time
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0007
  • Skill: literary composition / 詞彩 · Level: renowned
    Explicit · songshu:073:s0311

Works and attributed material

Events and relationships

Assessments and attributes

References in the histories

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

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 47Volume 47 Biographies 28: Wang Rong, Xie Tiao · 1 passage
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Book of Song, Chapter 58Volume 58 Biographies 18: Wang Hui, Xie Hongwei, Wang Qiu · 1 passage
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Book of Song, Chapter 62Volume 62 Biographies 22: Yang Xin, Zhang Fu, Wang Wei · 1 passage
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Book of Song, Chapter 70Volume 70 Biographies 30: Yuan Shu · 1 passage
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世祖即位，使顏延之為詔曰：「夫輕道重義，亟聞其教；世弊國危，希遇其人。自非達義之至，識正之深者，孰能抗心衞主，遺身固節者哉。故太子左衞率淑，文辯優洽，秉尚貞慤。當要逼之切，意色不橈，厲辭道逆，氣震凶黨。虐刃交至，取斃不移。古之懷忠隕難，未云出其右者。興言嗟悼，無廢乎心。宜在加禮，永旌宋有臣焉。可贈侍中、太尉，諡曰忠憲公。」 When Emperor Xiaowu took the throne, he had Yan Yanzhi draft an edict: "When the Way is slighted and righteousness weighed heavily, the teaching has long been heard; in an age of decay and a state in peril, such a person is rarely met. Unless one has reached the utmost in grasping righteousness and depth in knowing what is correct, who could brace the heart to guard his lord, leave the body, and hold fast to integrity? Former Left Guard General of the Heir Apparent Shu was eloquent and thorough and upheld pure sincerity. When coercion pressed hardest, his expression did not bend; with stern words he denounced rebellion, and his spirit shook the vicious faction. Cruel blades fell together, yet he met death without wavering. Among the loyal who fell in disaster in antiquity, none are said to surpass him. At these words we sigh and mourn, and our hearts cannot be unmoved. He deserves added honors, eternally displaying that Song had such a minister. He may be posthumously awarded Palace Attendant and Grand Commandant, with the posthumous title Duke of Loyal Integrity."
Book of Song, Chapter 73Volume 73 Biographies 33: Yan Yanzhi · 41 passages
Open chapter
義熙十二年，高祖北伐，有宋公之授，府遣一使慶殊命，參起居，延之與同府王參軍俱奉使至洛陽，道中作詩二首，文辭藻麗，為謝晦、傅亮所賞。 In the twelfth year of Yixi (416), when the Founder Liu Yu campaigned north and received the title Duke of Song, the staff sent an envoy to mark the exceptional honor and attend court. Yanzhi and a fellow retainer named Wang went together to Luoyang; en route they wrote two poems whose diction was rich and polished, winning the praise of Xie Hui and Fu Liang.
時延之已拜，欲黜為遠郡，太祖與義康詔曰：「降延之為小邦不政，有謂其在都邑，豈動物情，罪過彰著，亦士庶共悉，直欲選代，令思愆里閭。 Yanzhi had already accepted the post, but they meant to banish him to a remote commandery. Emperor Wen wrote to Yikang: "Sending Yanzhi to a minor post is not because he governs badly. Some say that in the capital he stirs people's hearts; his faults are plain and known to all. We only want to replace him and let him repent at home.