Zhang Yan (張黶) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Zhang Yan as a general and military officer. This record brings together 6 passages from 1 chapter across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Zhang Yan	張黶	Zhang Yan

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Uncertain

Roles

General
Military Officer

Life and dates

Death

Manner: killed in battle · Note: lost with five thousand testing Qin
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0115

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 鉅鹿之圍 · Western Year: BC 207
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:041:s0109
Source Date: Text: 陳涉起 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:041:s0058

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Chen Yu (陳餘)
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0109, hanshu:041:s0110

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 · 6 passages

Open chapter

趙王以為然，因不西兵，而使韓廣略燕，李良略常山，張黶略上黨。 The King of Zhao agreed, kept troops from the western front, and sent commanders into Yan, Changshan, and Shangdang.

數月，耳大怒，怨餘，使張黶、陳釋往讓餘曰：「始吾與公為刎頸交，今王與耳旦暮死，而公擁兵數萬，不肯相救，相不赴奏俱死？ After months, Zhang Er was furious and sent Zhang Yan and Chen Shi to reproach Chen Yu, saying, "We swore we would die for each other. Now the king and I face death at any moment, yet you sit with tens of thousands of troops and refuse to come to our aid — will you not come and die with us?

張黶、陳釋曰：「事已急，要以俱死立信，安知後慮！」 "Zhang Yan and Chen Shi said the crisis required dying together to keep faith, not planning for a distant future."

乃使五千人令張黶、陳釋先嘗秦軍，至皆沒。 He then sent five thousand men under Zhang Yan and Chen Shi to test Qin first; all were lost.

與餘相見，責讓餘，問張黶、陳釋所在。 When they met Chen Yu, they reproached him and asked where Zhang Yan and Chen Shi were.

餘曰：「黶、釋以必死責臣，臣使將五千人先嘗秦軍，皆沒。」 "Chen Yu said they had demanded certain death, so he sent them with five thousand men to test Qin first, and all perished."