论邓禹的历史形象

A Study on the Historical Image of Deng Yu

作为东汉初年重要的历史人物,邓禹的历史形象较为丰富。"元功"、"智隐"和"儒将"是邓禹历史形象中较为突出的三个方面。作为东汉开国功臣,邓禹"元功之首"的形象深入人心,不仅生前即被光武帝、明帝父子确认和肯定,在正史中也得以突出和强调,东汉以降更受到后世的赞誉和推崇;邓禹"勋成智隐"的形象建基于其配合光武帝"退功臣"方略而主动退隐的行为,这在受到范晔等史家肯定的同时,也引发了人们对其"未尽其才"的惋惜;邓禹的"儒将"形象形成较晚,随着文士领兵现象的普遍、儒学与科举的发展而日益受到人们的重视,尤以宋代为甚。后世对邓禹历史形象的建构与评价既反映了其对于邓禹的认知,也都带有各自时代的鲜明烙印。

As an important historical figure in early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty,Deng Yu had multiple facets in his historical image. Notably,he could be appropriately identified as a meritorious military official,a voluntarily retired official and a scholarly general. Contributing a lot to the founding of the Eastern Han Dynasty,Deng was widely remembered as a prominent and meritorious founder of the dynasty. He was not only highly acknowledged by Emperor Guangwu and Emperor Ming when he was alive,but also was eminently praised in official history after his death. Deng retired and withdrew from political life on his own initiative when the Emperor Guangwu carried out the strategy of 'dismissing meritorious military officials'. This was favorably evaluated by later historians such as Fan Ye,but was also regretted by general people that his talents and capabilities were not fully brought into use. Later in history,when the phenomenon of scholars commanding the military army became common and the Confucianism and the imperial examination were increasingly attached importance to,especially in Song Dynasty,Deng began to be regarded as a scholarly type general. So evaluations of Deng Yu in later ages reflect the general cognition of the historical image of Deng Yu in different times and are therefore tinged with the distinctive characteristics of their own time.