1
田儋者，狄人也，故齊王田氏族也。 儋從弟田榮，榮弟田橫，皆豪，宗彊，能得人。
Tian Dan was a native of Di and a descendant of the Tian clan, the former royal house of Qi. His cousin Tian Rong and Rong's younger brother Tian Heng were both men of great ambition. Their clan wielded considerable influence and could rally people to their cause.
2
陳涉之初起王楚也，使周市略定魏地，北至狄，狄城守。 田儋詳為縛其奴，從少年之廷，欲謁殺奴。 見狄令，因擊殺令，而召豪吏子弟曰：「諸侯皆反秦自立，齊，古之建國，儋，田氏，當王。」 遂自立為齊王，發兵以擊周市。 周市軍還去，田儋因率兵東略定齊地。
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. Tian Dan feigned having a slave bound and, accompanied by a group of young men, proceeded to the county court under the pretext of petitioning for the slave's execution. Upon gaining an audience with the magistrate of Di, he struck the man dead. He then summoned the sons of the local notables and declared: 'All the lords have risen against Qin and proclaimed their own kingdoms. Qi is an ancient state, and I, Tian Dan of the Tian clan, should be its king.' He thereupon declared himself King of Qi and mustered troops to strike against Zhou Shi. Zhou Shi's forces withdrew, and Tian Dan led his army eastward to bring the lands of Qi under his control.
3
秦將章邯圍魏王咎於臨濟，急。 魏王請救於齊，齊王田儋將兵救魏。 章邯夜銜枚擊，大破齊、魏軍，殺田儋於臨濟下。 儋弟田榮收儋餘兵東走東阿。
The Qin general Zhang Han laid siege to King Jiu of Wei at Linji, and the situation grew desperate. The King of Wei appealed to Qi for help, and King Tian Dan of Qi marched his forces to Wei's relief. Zhang Han launched a surprise night attack, his soldiers biting down on wooden gags to maintain silence, and routed the combined Qi and Wei forces, slaying Tian Dan beneath the walls of Linji. Tian Dan's kinsman Tian Rong rallied the remnants of Dan's army and retreated east to Dong'e.
4
田榮之走東阿，章邯追圍之。 項梁聞田榮之急，乃引兵擊破章邯軍東阿下。 章邯走而西，項梁因追之。 而田榮怒齊之立假，乃引兵歸，擊逐齊王假。 假亡走楚。 齊相角亡走趙； 角弟田閒前求救趙，因留不敢歸。 田榮乃立田儋子市為齊王。 榮相之，田橫為將，平齊地。
When Tian Rong fell back to Dong'e, Zhang Han gave chase and laid siege to the city. Xiang Liang, hearing of Tian Rong's dire straits, brought his forces to bear and shattered Zhang Han's army beneath the walls of Dong'e. Zhang Han fled westward, and Xiang Liang gave pursuit. But Tian Rong, furious that Qi had installed Tian Jia as king, led his troops home and drove King Jia from the throne. King Jia fled to Chu. The Chancellor of Qi, Tian Jiao, fled to Zhao. Jiao's younger brother Tian Jian had earlier gone to Zhao to seek aid and remained there, not daring to return. Tian Rong then installed Tian Dan's son Shi as King of Qi. Rong served as chancellor and Tian Heng as general, and together they pacified the lands of Qi.
5
項梁既追章邯，章邯兵益盛，項梁使使告趙、齊，發兵共擊章邯。 田榮曰：「使楚殺田假，趙殺田角、田閒，閒肯出兵。」 楚懷王曰：「田假與國之王，窮而歸我，殺之不義。」 趙亦不殺田角、田閒以市於齊。 齊曰：「蝮螫手則斬手，螫足則斬足。 何者？ 為害於身也。 今田假、田角、田閒於楚、趙，非直手足戚也，何故不殺？ 且秦復得志於天下，則齮龁用事者墳墓矣。」 楚、趙不聽，齊亦怒，終不肯出兵。 章邯果敗殺項梁，破楚兵，楚兵東走，而章邯渡河圍趙於鉅鹿。 項羽往救趙，由此怨田榮。
As Xiang Liang continued to pursue Zhang Han, Zhang Han's forces grew ever stronger. Xiang Liang sent envoys to Zhao and Qi, urging them to commit troops for a joint attack on Zhang Han. Tian Rong replied: 'Have Chu execute Tian Jia, and have Zhao execute Tian Jiao and Tian Jian—then I will send troops.' King Huai of Chu said: 'Tian Jia was the king of an allied state. He came to me in his hour of need—to kill him would be unjust.' Zhao likewise refused to execute Tian Jiao and Tian Jian as a concession to Qi. Qi responded: 'When a viper stings the hand, you cut off the hand; when it stings the foot, you cut off the foot.' Why? Because the venom would kill the whole body. Now Tian Jia, Tian Jiao, and Tian Jian are sheltered in Chu and Zhao. They are more than a mere affliction of the hand or foot—why will you not kill them? Moreover, if Qin prevails once more over the world, it will gnaw the very bones of those who dared to act against it.' Chu and Zhao refused to comply, and Qi in turn grew resentful, ultimately refusing to send any troops. Sure enough, Zhang Han defeated and killed Xiang Liang, shattering the Chu forces and sending them fleeing east. Zhang Han then crossed the Yellow River and besieged Zhao at Julu. Xiang Yu marched to Zhao's rescue, and from that time bore a deep grudge against Tian Rong.
6
項羽既存趙，降章邯等，西屠咸陽，滅秦而立侯王也，乃徙齊王田市更王膠東，治即墨。 齊將田都從共救趙，因入關，故立都為齊王，治臨淄。 故齊王建孫田安，項羽方渡河救趙，田安下濟北數城，引兵降項羽，項羽立田安為濟北王，治博陽。 田榮以負項梁不肯出兵助楚、趙攻秦，故不得王； 趙將陳餘亦失職，不得王：二人俱怨項王。
After Xiang Yu saved Zhao and accepted the surrender of Zhang Han and his forces, he marched west to sack Xianyang, destroyed Qin, and parceled out the realm among the lords. He transferred King Tian Shi of Qi to the Kingdom of Jiaodong, with his seat at Jimo. The Qi general Tian Du had joined the campaign to rescue Zhao and afterward entered the passes with the allied forces. For this he was made King of Qi, with his seat at Linzi. Tian An, a grandson of the former King Jian of Qi, had seized several cities in Jibei while Xiang Yu was crossing the river to relieve Zhao, and brought his forces over in submission. For this, Xiang Yu made him King of Jibei, with his seat at Boyang. Tian Rong, because he had turned his back on Xiang Liang and refused to send troops to aid Chu and Zhao against Qin, was denied a kingdom. The Zhao general Chen Yu had likewise been passed over and denied a kingdom. Both men harbored a deep resentment toward King Xiang.
7
頊王既歸，諸侯各就國，田榮使人將兵助陳餘，令反趙地，而榮亦發兵以距擊田都，田都亡走楚。 田榮留齊王市，無令之膠東。 市之左右曰：「項王彊暴，而王當之膠東，不就國，必危。」 市懼，乃亡就國。 田榮怒，追擊殺齊王市於即墨，還攻殺濟北王安。 於是田榮乃自立為齊王，盡并三齊之地。
Once King Xiang returned west and the lords dispersed to their kingdoms, Tian Rong sent troops to aid Chen Yu, directing him to seize Zhao. At the same time, Rong raised his own forces and attacked Tian Du, who fled to Chu. Tian Rong kept King Shi in Qi and forbade him from proceeding to Jiaodong. Shi's attendants warned him: 'King Xiang is powerful and ruthless. You have been assigned to Jiaodong—if you do not go to your kingdom, you will surely be in danger.' Shi grew afraid and slipped away to take up his kingdom. Tian Rong, enraged, gave chase and killed King Shi at Jimo. He then turned back and attacked and killed King An of Jibei. Tian Rong thereupon proclaimed himself King of Qi, bringing all three Qi kingdoms under his rule.
8
項王聞之，大怒，乃北伐齊。 齊王田榮兵敗，走平原，平原人殺榮。 項王遂燒夷齊城郭，所過者盡屠之。 齊人相聚畔之。 榮弟橫，收齊散兵，得數萬人，反擊項羽於城陽。 而漢王率諸侯敗楚，入彭城。 項羽聞之，乃醳齊而歸，擊漢於彭城，因連與漢戰，相距滎陽。 以故田橫復得收齊城邑，立田榮子廣為齊王，而橫相之，專國政，政無巨細皆斷於相。
When King Xiang learned of this, he flew into a rage and marched north to punish Qi. King Tian Rong of Qi was defeated in battle and fled to Pingyuan, where the people of that place killed him. King Xiang then burned and leveled the cities of Qi, putting to the sword everyone in his path. The people of Qi banded together and rose against him. Rong's younger brother Tian Heng rallied the scattered soldiers of Qi, assembling tens of thousands of men, and struck back against Xiang Yu at Chengyang. Meanwhile, the King of Han led a coalition of lords to defeat Chu and seized Pengcheng. When Xiang Yu learned of this, he abandoned the Qi campaign and rushed south to strike the Han forces at Pengcheng. From then on, the two sides fought a protracted war, facing off at Xingyang. With Xiang Yu's attention diverted, Tian Heng recovered the cities of Qi. He installed Tian Rong's son Guang as King of Qi and served as his chancellor, concentrating all power in his own hands. Every affair of state, great or small, was decided by the chancellor.
9
橫定齊三年，漢王使酈生往說下齊王廣及其相國橫。 橫以為然，解其歷下軍。 漢將韓信引兵且東擊齊。 齊初使華無傷、田解軍於歷下以距漢，漢使至，乃罷守戰備，縱酒，且遣使與漢平。 漢將韓信已平趙、燕，用蒯通計，度平原，襲破齊歷下軍，因入臨淄。 齊王廣、相橫怒，以酈生賣己，而亨酈生。 齊王廣東走高密，相橫走博（陽），守相田光走城陽，將軍田既軍於膠東。 楚使龍且救齊，齊王與合軍高密。 漢將韓信與曹參破殺龍且，虜齊王廣。 漢將灌嬰追得齊守相田光。 至博（陽），而橫聞齊王死，自立為齊王，還擊嬰，嬰敗橫之軍於嬴下。 田橫亡走梁，歸彭越。 彭越是時居梁地，中立，且為漢，且為楚。 韓信已殺龍且，因令曹參進兵破殺田既於膠東，使灌嬰破殺齊將田吸於千乘。 韓信遂平齊，乞自立為齊假王，漢因而立之。
After Heng had held Qi for three years, the King of Han sent the persuader Li Yiji to talk King Guang of Qi and his Chancellor Heng into surrendering. Heng found the arguments persuasive and stood down his garrison at Lixia. Meanwhile, the Han general Han Xin was leading his army east to attack Qi. Qi had previously stationed Hua Wushang and Tian Jie with troops at Lixia to hold off Han. But after the Han envoy arrived, they relaxed their defenses, gave themselves over to drinking, and dispatched envoys to negotiate peace with Han. Han Xin, having already subdued Zhao and Yan, adopted Kuai Tong's stratagem and crossed the plains to launch a surprise attack on the Qi forces at Lixia. He then marched straight into Linzi. King Guang and Chancellor Heng were furious, convinced that Li Yiji had sold them out. They had him boiled alive. King Guang fled east to Gaomi; Chancellor Heng escaped to Boyang; the Deputy Chancellor Tian Guang retreated to Chengyang; and General Tian Ji encamped with his forces in Jiaodong. Chu dispatched Long Ju to rescue Qi, and the King of Qi joined forces with him at Gaomi. The Han general Han Xin, together with Cao Can, defeated and killed Long Ju and took King Guang of Qi prisoner. The Han general Guan Ying pursued and captured the Qi Deputy Chancellor Tian Guang. When word reached Boyang that the King of Qi was dead, Heng proclaimed himself King of Qi and turned to attack Guan Ying. But Guan Ying routed Heng's forces at Ying. Tian Heng fled to Liang and took refuge with Peng Yue. At this time Peng Yue occupied the territory of Liang and maintained a position of neutrality, siding now with Han, now with Chu. After Han Xin killed Long Ju, he sent Cao Can to advance into Jiaodong and destroy Tian Ji, and dispatched Guan Ying to defeat and kill the Qi general Tian Xi at Qiancheng. Han Xin thus completed the conquest of Qi and petitioned to be made its Acting King. The King of Han granted his request.
10
後歲餘，漢滅項籍，漢王立為皇帝，以彭越為梁王。 田橫懼誅，而與其徒屬五百餘人入海，居島中。 高帝聞之，以為田橫兄弟本定齊，齊人賢者多附焉，今在海中不收，後恐為亂，乃使使赦田橫罪而召之。 田橫因謝曰：「臣亨陛下之使酈生，今聞其弟酈商為漢將而賢，臣恐懼，不敢奉詔，請為庶人，守海島中。」 使還報，高皇帝乃詔衛尉酈商曰：「齊王田橫即至，人馬從者敢動搖者致族夷！」 乃復使使持節具告以詔商狀，曰：「田橫來，大者王，小者乃侯耳； 不來，且舉兵加誅焉。」 田橫乃與其客二人乘傳詣雒陽。
More than a year later, Han destroyed Xiang Ji. The King of Han ascended as Emperor and made Peng Yue King of Liang. Tian Heng, fearing execution, sailed out to sea with more than five hundred of his followers and took up residence on an island. Emperor Gao heard of this and reflected that the Tian brothers had been the ones to pacify Qi, and that many of the ablest men in Qi were devoted to them. If they were left at large on the sea, they might one day stir up trouble. He therefore sent an envoy to pardon Tian Heng and summon him to court. Tian Heng declined, saying: 'I boiled Your Majesty's envoy Li Yiji alive. Now I hear that his younger brother Li Shang serves as a Han general and is a man of ability. I am terrified and dare not obey the summons. I beg leave to remain a commoner and keep to my island.' When the envoy returned with this reply, Emperor Gao issued an edict to Li Shang, the Commandant of Guards: 'Tian Heng, the former King of Qi, is about to arrive. If anyone among his retinue so much as stirs, the offender's entire clan shall be exterminated!' He then sent another envoy bearing the imperial tally to inform Tian Heng in full of the edict restraining Li Shang, adding: 'If Tian Heng comes, at best he shall be made a king, at least a marquis.' 'If he does not come, the army shall be sent to destroy him.' Tian Heng then set out with two of his retainers, traveling by relay carriage toward Luoyang.
11
未至三十里，至尸鄉廄置，橫謝使者曰：「人臣見天子當洗沐。」 止留。 謂其客曰：「橫始與漢王俱南面稱孤，今漢王為天子，而橫乃為亡虜而北面事之，其恥固已甚矣。 且吾亨人之兄，與其弟并肩而事其主，縱彼畏天子之詔，不敢動我，我獨不愧於心乎？ 且陛下所以欲見我者，不過欲一見吾面貌耳。 今陛下在洛陽，今斬吾頭，馳三十里閒，形容尚未能敗，猶可觀也。」 遂自剄，令客奉其頭，從使者馳奏之高帝。 高帝曰：「嗟乎，有以也夫！ 起自布衣，兄弟三人更王，豈不賢乎哉！」 為之流涕，而拜其二客為都尉，發卒二千人，以王者禮葬田橫。
When they were still thirty li from the capital, they reached the relay station at Shixiang. Heng addressed the envoy: 'A subject about to be received by the Son of Heaven ought first to bathe and purify himself.' He halted there and remained. He said to his retainers: 'Once, Heng and the King of Han both faced south and styled themselves sovereign. Now the King of Han is Son of Heaven, and Heng is nothing but a fugitive who must face north and serve him. The shame of it is already beyond bearing.' Moreover, I boiled a man's elder brother alive, and now I am to stand shoulder to shoulder with his younger brother in serving the same lord. Even if Li Shang fears the imperial edict and dares not touch me, can I alone feel no shame in my heart? The only reason His Majesty wishes to see me is to look upon my face. His Majesty is in Luoyang. If my head is cut off now and rushed there at a gallop—a mere thirty li—my features will not yet have decayed. He may still look upon them.' With that he cut his own throat. He had ordered his retainers to take his head; they followed the envoy and rode at a gallop to present it to Emperor Gao. Emperor Gao exclaimed: 'Alas! There was something to this man indeed!' 'Rising from common cloth, three brothers took the throne in turn—were they not men of surpassing worth!' He wept for Tian Heng, appointed the two retainers as commandants, and dispatched two thousand soldiers to bury Tian Heng with the rites due a king.
12
既葬，二客穿其冢旁孔，皆自剄，下從之。 高帝聞之，乃大驚，大田橫之客皆賢。 吾聞其餘尚五百人在海中，使使召之。 至則聞田橫死，亦皆自殺。 於是乃知田橫兄弟能得士也。
After the burial, the two retainers dug openings beside his tomb, slit their own throats, and fell into the earth to follow their lord in death. When Emperor Gao heard of this, he was deeply shaken and declared that all of Tian Heng's followers were men of the highest worth. He learned that some five hundred followers still remained on the island and sent envoys to summon them. When the envoys arrived and the followers learned that Tian Heng was dead, every one of them took his own life. Only then did the world understand the power the Tian brothers had to command the loyalty of men.
13
太史公曰：甚矣蒯通之謀，亂齊驕淮陰，其卒亡此兩人！ 蒯通者，善為長短說，論戰國之權變，為八十一首。 通善齊人安期生，安期生嘗干項羽，項羽不能用其筴。 已而項羽欲封此兩人，兩人終不肯受，亡去。 田橫之高節，賓客慕義而從橫死，豈非至賢！ 余因而列焉。 不無善畫者，莫能圖，何哉？
The Grand Historian remarks: How far-reaching was Kuai Tong's scheming! It threw Qi into turmoil and made the Marquis of Huaiyin overreach—and in the end it cost both men their lives! Kuai Tong was a master of persuasive rhetoric. He composed eighty-one essays analyzing the shifting balances of power during the Warring States period. Tong was on good terms with An Qisheng, a man of Qi. An Qisheng once offered his counsel to Xiang Yu, but Xiang Yu proved unable to make use of his stratagems. Later, Xiang Yu wished to enfeoff both men, but they refused to accept and disappeared. As for Tian Heng's lofty integrity—that his followers so admired his sense of honor as to follow him in death—were they not men of the highest virtue! I have therefore set down their account here. It is not for want of skilled painters that none has been able to capture their likeness—but why should that be?