Cai Yong 蔡邕 A Neglected Figure of Late Eastern Han

Abstract

Known as a composer of fu, of treatises on multiple technical subjects, yet hold- ing no high official position until late in his life, Cai Yong stands out as protesting against certain aspects of public life and as urging a return to the principles of earlier times. Arousing the enmity of some in power, he was put to death in 192. His corpus provides a pointed, if veiled critic of certain aspects of Han governance in his own day.