Qin and Han · General

Zhou Shi 周市

Zhōu Shì

Died BC 209

Passages: 33
Chapters: 7
Histories: 2

Overview

The translated histories identify Zhou Shi as an envoy, general, military officer, and official. This record brings together 33 passages from 7 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Zhou Shi	周市	Zhōu Shì
Given	Shi	市	Shi
Given	Shi	市	Shì
Surname	Zhou	周	Zhou
Personal name	Zhou Shi	周巿	Zhou Shi
Personal	Zhou Shi	周市	Zhou Shi
Personal name	Zhou Shi	周市	Zhou Shi

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · shiji:048:s0060, shiji:094:s0003
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · shiji:090:s0005
Value: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:042:s0004

Roles

Envoy
General
Military Officer
Official
Rebel
Statesman
Warlord

Life and dates

Death

Manner: killed in battle · Authority Person Id: Zhang Han (章邯) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 章邯遂擊破殺周市等軍 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit · shiji:090:s0014
Text: killed by Zhang Han / 擊破殺周市等軍
Explicit · hanshu:042:s0012

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 二世元年 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0060
Source Date: Text: 使周市略定魏地 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:094:s0003
Source Date: Text: 陳勝之起王也 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:090:s0004, shiji:090:s0005, shiji:090:s0014

Career and standing

Label: Wei envoy and military officer / 魏人周市
Explicit · shiji:090:s0005
Label: chancellor of Wei / 相 · Action: appointed
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0096

Places and affiliations

Place: Wei / 魏
Explicit · shiji:048:s0060
Text: Wei / 魏
Explicit · hanshu:042:s0004

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Extent Unit Ids: s0006, s0007 · Provenance: Mode: speech · Speaker Person Id: Zhou Shi (周市)
Explicit · shiji:090:s0006, shiji:090:s0007

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: campaigned through Wei and refused its kingship · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 二世元年 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0060, shiji:048:s0091, shiji:048:s0092, shiji:048:s0093, shiji:048:s0094, shiji:048:s0095, shiji:048:s0096
Kind: political · Role: refused-kingship · Action: declined · Label: refused to become King of Wei / 辭不受 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 陳勝之起王也 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit · shiji:090:s0008, shiji:090:s0009
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: raided-Wei-as-far-as-Di
Explicit · shiji:094:s0003

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 1Volume 1: Annals of Emperor Gaozu 1 · 1 passage

魏人周市略地豐沛，使人謂雍齒曰：「豐，故梁徙也，今魏地已定者數十城。 The Wei man Zhou Shi seized territory in Feng and Pei, and sent someone to tell Yong Chi: "Feng was originally Liang territory, now Wei has already pacified dozens of cities.

Book of Han, Chapter 2Volume 1: Annals of Emperor Gaozu 2 · 1 passage

秦滅魏，遷大梁，都于豐，故周巿說雍齒曰「豐，故梁徙也」。 When Qin destroyed Wei, it transferred the people of Daliang and made their capital at Feng; therefore Zhou Shi said to Yong Chi: "Feng is where Liang moved its seat."

Book of Han, Chapter 42Volume 33: Wei Bao, Tian Dan and Hán Xin (King of Han) · 15 passages

勝使魏人周市徇魏地，魏地已下，欲立周市為魏王。 Chen Sheng sent Zhou Shi, a man of Wei, to bring Wei territory over. After Wei territory had submitted, the people wished to make Zhou Shi king of Wei.

市曰：「天下昏亂，忠臣乃見。 Zhou Shi said, "In a chaotic age, loyal ministers come to the fore.

齊、趙使車各五十乘，立市為王。 Qi and Zhao each sent fifty chariots to support installing Zhou Shi as king.

市不受，迎魏咎於陳，五反，陳王乃遣立咎為魏王。 Zhou Shi refused the title. He went to Chen to bring Wei Jiu back, and after he asked five times, the King of Chen finally sent Wei Jiu and installed him as king of Wei.

魏王使周市請救齊、楚。 The King of Wei sent Zhou Shi to ask Qi and Chu for aid.

齊、楚遣項它、田巴將兵，隨市救魏。 Qi and Chu sent Xiang Tuo and Tian Ba with troops to join Zhou Shi in rescuing Wei.

章邯遂擊破殺周市等軍，圍臨濟。 Zhang Han then crushed and killed Zhou Shi's forces and surrounded Linji.

陳涉使周市略地，北至狄，狄城守。 When Chen She sent Zhou Shi to seize territory, he reached Di, but Di held its walls.

遂自立為齊王，發兵擊周市。 He then made himself king of Qi and sent troops against Zhou Shi.

市軍還去，儋因率兵東略定齊地。 Zhou Shi's army withdrew, and Tian Dan then led troops eastward and stabilized Qi territory.

榮乃立儋子市為王，榮相之，橫為將，平齊地。 Tian Rong then enthroned Tian Dan's son Tian Shi as king, served as his chancellor, made Tian Heng commander, and pacified Qi.

趙亦不殺田角、田閒以市於齊。 Zhao likewise refused to kill Tian Jiao and Tian Jian in exchange for Qi's favor.

市左右曰：「項王強暴，王不就國，必危。」 King Shi's attendants said, "Lord Xiang is violent and overbearing. If you do not go to your assigned kingdom, you will be in peril."

市懼，乃亡就國。 King Shi grew afraid and secretly went to his state.

榮怒，追擊殺市於即墨，還攻殺濟北王安，自立為王，盡并三齊之地。 Tian Rong was enraged. He pursued King Shi to Jimo and killed him, then returned, attacked and killed Tian An, king of Jibei, made himself king, and annexed all the territory of the Three Qi.

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 · 5 passages

陳王令魏人周市北徇魏地。 The King of Chen ordered Zhou Shi, a man of Wei, to march north and pacify the Wei territories.

周市北徇地至狄，狄人田儋殺狄令，自立為齊王，以齊反擊周市。 Zhou Shi marched north as far as Di, where Tian Dan, a man of Di, killed the local magistrate, declared himself King of Qi, and turned the forces of Qi against Zhou Shi.

市軍散，還至魏地，欲立魏後故甯陵君咎為魏王。 Zhou Shi's forces were scattered. He withdrew to the Wei territories, intending to install Jiu, the Lord of Ningling and a descendant of the Wei royal house, as King of Wei.

魏地已定，欲相與立周市為魏王，周市不肯。 With the Wei territories already secured, the people wished to make Zhou Shi the King of Wei, but Zhou Shi refused.

周市卒為相。 Zhou Shi ultimately served as his chancellor.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 90Biographies of Wei Bao and Peng Yue · 7 passages

陳王使魏人周市徇魏地，魏地已下，欲相與立周市為魏王。 The King of Chen sent Zhou Shi, a man of Wei, to pacify the old Wei territories. Once those lands had submitted, the people wished to make Zhou Shi the King of Wei.

周市曰：「天下昏亂，忠臣乃見。 Zhou Shi said, "It is only when the world falls into darkness and chaos that loyal ministers make themselves known.

齊、趙使車各五十乘，立周市為魏王。 Qi and Zhao each sent fifty chariots in support of installing Zhou Shi as King of Wei.

市辭不受，迎魏咎於陳。 Zhou Shi refused the title and traveled to Chen to welcome Wei Jiu.

魏王乃使周市出請救於齊、楚。 The King of Wei sent Zhou Shi to seek reinforcements from Qi and Chu.

齊、楚遣項它、田巴將兵隨市救魏。 Qi and Chu dispatched Xiang Ta and Tian Ba to lead troops in Zhou Shi's wake to relieve Wei.

章邯遂擊破殺周市等軍，圍臨濟。 Zhang Han attacked and routed Zhou Shi's forces, killing Zhou Shi among others, and laid siege to Linji.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 94Biography of Tian Dan, King of Qi · 3 passages

陳涉之初起王楚也，使周市略定魏地，北至狄，狄城守。 When Chen She first rose in revolt and proclaimed himself King of Chu, he dispatched Zhou Shi to subdue the territory of Wei. Zhou Shi advanced north as far as Di, but the city held fast against him.

遂自立為齊王，發兵以擊周市。 He thereupon declared himself King of Qi and mustered troops to strike against Zhou Shi.

周市軍還去，田儋因率兵東略定齊地。 Zhou Shi's forces withdrew, and Tian Dan led his army eastward to bring the lands of Qi under his control.