Zou Yan (鄒衍) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Zou Yan as a philosopher, scholar, teacher, and writer. This record brings together 12 passages from 5 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Zou Yan	鄒衍	Zou Yan
Title	Master Zou	騶子	Zou Zi
Given	Yan	衍
Alternate name	Yan	衍	Yan
Surname	Zou	鄒
Personal name	Zou Yan	騶衍
Personal	Zou Yan	鄒衍	Zōu Yǎn
Personal name	Zou Yan	騶衍	Zou Yan
Personal name	Zou Yan	鄒衍	Zōu Yǎn

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · shiji:076:s0097
Value: male
Strongly inferred · shiji:074:s0018

Roles

Philosopher
Scholar
Teacher
Writer

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 如燕，昭王 · Western Interval: Start: BC 311 · End: BC 279
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:074:s0037
Source Date: Text: 往者周罔解結…戰國 · Western Year: BC 300
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:099:s0061, hanshu:099:s0063
Source Date: Text: 後孟子 · Western Interval: Start: BC 305 · End: BC 270
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:074:s0018
Source Date: Text: 戰國 · Western Interval: Start: BC 350 · End: BC 270
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:026:s0036, shiji:026:s0037
Source Date: Text: 鄒衍過趙 · Western Year: c. BC 250
Derived · shiji:076:s0097

Places and affiliations

Place: Jieshi Palace / 碣石宮 · Relation: taught-at
Explicit · shiji:074:s0037
Organization: Jixia Academy / 稷下 · Relation: associated-with
Explicit · shiji:074:s0047

Learning and skills

Skill: Five Virtues cosmology / 五德之傳 · Level: renowned
Explicit · shiji:026:s0037
Skill: yin-yang cosmology / 陰陽消息 · Level: renowned
Explicit · shiji:074:s0020

Works and attributed material

Work: End and Beginning / 終始 · Relation: author
Explicit · shiji:074:s0020
Work: Great Sage / 大聖 · Relation: author
Explicit · shiji:074:s0020
Work: Lord of Fate / 主運 · Relation: author
Explicit · shiji:074:s0038

Events and relationships

Kind: intellectual · Role: teacher · Action: explained-Five-Virtues-to-feudal-lords
Explicit · shiji:026:s0037
Kind: honor · Role: honoree · Action: honored in Qi · Place: Qi / 齊
Explicit · shiji:074:s0034
Kind: diplomatic · Role: guest · Action: received mat-sweeping deference · Other Person Id: Lord Pingyuan (平原君) · Place: Zhao / 趙
Explicit · shiji:074:s0036
Kind: philosophical-debate · Role: speaker · Action: spoke-on-Great-Way-causing-Gongsun-Long-dismissal · Other Person Id: Gongsun Long (公孫龍)
Explicit · shiji:076:s0097
Kind: teaching · Role: teacher · Action: taught King Zhao; Jieshi Palace built · Other Person Id: King Zhao of Yan (燕昭王) · Place: Yan / 燕
Explicit · shiji:074:s0037
Kind: diplomatic · Role: guest · Action: welcomed at suburbs · Other Person Id: King Hui of Liang (梁惠王) · Place: Liang / 梁
Explicit · shiji:074:s0035
Relation: followed-in-time · Person Id: Meng Ke (孟軻)
Explicit · shiji:074:s0018
Relation: teacher-of · Person Id: King Zhao of Yan (燕昭王)
Explicit · shiji:074:s0037
Relation: intellectual-rival-of · Person Id: Gongsun Long (公孫龍)
Explicit · shiji:076:s0097

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: circuitous, grand, vast, and eloquent · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment · Speaker Person Id: Sima Qian (太史公)
Explicit · shiji:074:s0077
Assessment: discourses on Heaven (谈天衍) · Provenance: Mode: named-source-report · Source Work: Qi popular song / 齊人頌
Explicit · shiji:074:s0080
Assessment: words unorthodox but perhaps with Yi Yin-like intention · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment · Speaker Person Id: Sima Qian (太史公)
Explicit · shiji:074:s0046