《新五代史·司天考》
1053 CE · Ouyang Xiu
Overview
It is called an “inquiry into the office of heaven” rather than a treatise on the calendar — a form of its own.
Key data
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Completed | 1053 CE |
| Author | Ouyang Xiu |
| Chapters | Inquiries 5–6 |
| Form | An “inquiry,” not a “treatise” |
A change of form
In his New History of the Five Dynasties Ouyang Xiu did not call the chapter a “treatise on the calendar” but an “inquiry into the office of heaven,” the only use of “inquiry” in the twenty-five histories.
The change reflects his sense of form: what is recorded is not the calendar alone but the office of heaven and the relation of heaven and man.
Contents
It records the Five Dynasties calendars and discusses the relation of heaven and man. Ouyang Xiu argues that portents should not be wholly trusted, and prefers to treat matters as they are — a cautious stance.
Read beside the Old History’s treatise on the calendar, two historiographical temperaments appear.
Compiled and arranged by Chujia Kuang.
II · Calendrical Chapters of the Standard Histories
← Jiu Wudai shi — calendrical treatise
Song shi — calendrical and astronomical treatises →
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