太史公

"Sima Qian"

Believed to be retroactively inserted by later editors of the Records of the Grand Historian into the book's text, likely by Yang Yun, son of Sima Qian's daughter (see 《太史公行年考》 in Wang, 1923).

"Sima Tan"

Honorific term used by Sima Qian when referring to his father.

太史公

1. (honorific) Sima Qian (Chinese historian, c. 145 BCE–c. 90 BCE)

   • 太史公，書漢世實事之人，而云「虛言」，近非實也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     太史公，书汉世实事之人，而云「虚言」，近非实也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wang Chong, Lun Heng (Discussive Weighing), 80 CE

     Tàishǐgōng, shū Hànshì shíshì zhīrén, ér yún “xūyán”, jìn fēishí yě.

     The Grand Historian was a man who recorded the true history of Han. What he called "empty words" were unlikely to be true.

2. (rare, honorific) Sima Tan (father of Sima Qian)

   • 太史公既掌天官，不治民。有子曰遷。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     太史公既掌天官，不治民。有子曰迁。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Tàishǐgōng jì zhǎng tiānguān, bù zhìmín. Yǒu zǐ yuē Qiān.

     The Lord Chief Astronomer, having held the office for celestial matters, no longer concerns himself in the government of men. He has a son named Qian.

In the Records of the Grand Historian, the author Sima Qian himself often used the phrase 太史公曰 (Tàishǐgōng yuē, “The Grand Historian remarks...”) as an opening for his commentary about the historical events described in a chapter.