铭文中的司士与讯讼无关——从曶鼎铭文的补字谈起

Irrevelance of Sishi in Bronze Inscriptions and Officials for Lawsuit: An Enlightenment from the Supplement for Missing Words inHu Ding

曶鼎铭文的补字问题引发了我们对铭文中的"士"和"司士"的关注。通过对铭文资料和传世文献资料的整理和比对,我们明晰了"士"主听讯讼,众"士"之长是"士师",他的属下包括乡士、遂士、县士、方士、讶士和朝士,以上刑官泛称为"士"。"司士"也是众"士"之长,他管理的"士"是一个阶层。在战时,"士"响应国家需要,参与作战。在平时,被任命的"士"都是王身边的服务人员,地位不高。《周礼》没有把"司士"放在秋官司寇下,而是放在夏官司马下。金文中出现的"司士"与传世文献中的"司士"并不抵牾,这一职位与讯讼之事无关。

The supplement for missing characters in the inscriptions of Hu ding intrigues a reconsideration of the meaning of the two characters shi and sishi. In comparison with other bronze inscriptions and received texts, the author argues shi refers to the chief official in charge of lawsuit, while sishi means the superior of various kinds ofshi including xiang shi, suishi ,xianshi, fangshi ,yashi and chaoshi. All these officials taking charge of lawsuit were called shi in general. Sishi administrated various kinds ofshi belonging to a single social class. During wartime, shi had to respond to the call of the King to join the army, while in daily-time officials belonging to the rank ofshi only served as low-ranking servants for the King. In the Rites ofZhou , sishi is put under the chapter of Xiaguan sima instead of Qiuguan sikou. Thus, the terminology ofsishi in bronze inscriptions does not contradict with its record in received texts as this position is not relevant to lawsuit