Assessments of Qiao Zhous surrender stance

In Sanguozhi, the historian Chen Shou praised that Qiao's proposal "preserved" the Liu ex-royal family and "help" Shu Han. Such praise was due to Chen's position as the subordinate of Western Jin dysnasty and also because Qiao was Chen's teacher. Historians with different viewpoints, such as Sun Sheng, heavily criticized Qiao Zhou's stance of surrender, called Qiao as "traitor".

Yi Zhongtian commented that Qiao's "treachery" was not due to his personality (Qiao was well-known for his good moral conduct) but because of difference in political stance. Qiao Zhou was the representative of the local Shu intelligentsia nobility (士族) who had long been at odd with Shu Han's governmentd due to:

• Shu government had long been mainly made up of "foreign" magistrates who competed against the local nobility in governmental posts and political power. Liu Yan, Liu Zhang, Liu Bei and their close associates were mostly not the local Shu nobility. Zhuge Liang later enacted a "fair" talent enrollment, employed many local Shu intelligentsia and managed to earn their respect, however he failed to completely solve the conflict.

• Zhuge Liang's fair and transparent rule of law were harmful for the nobility because it restrict their social privileges and prevented them from manipulating the politics. Meanwhile, the nine-rank system of Cao Wei and later Western Jin enable the nobility to recommend and promote their own scions, which was beneficial for the local Shu clans.

• Shu Han government relentlessly launched the northern expeditions against Cao Wei, resulted in heavy expenditure. Such expenditure was not only the burden of the common people, but also was harmful for the Shu nobility since taxes were imposed on them.

As a result, "betrayed" the Shu Han and "surrendered" to Cao Wei was beneficial for the local Shu's nobility - represented by Qiao Zhou and others, and they were eager to welcome Cao Wei's invasion.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Qiao Zhou is depicted as an astrologer whose studies greatly aided Zhuge Liang during the Northern Expeditions against Shu's rival state Cao Wei.

生平

譙周幼貧喪父，與母、兄同居。少讀典籍，精研六經，頗曉天文，為蜀地大儒之一，門下有陳壽、羅憲、文立、李密、杜軫等學生。

譙周早期時才華不被人看重，當時唯有楊戲看重，稱讚說：「我子孫最後都不能像譙周這才者那樣好。」

諸葛亮做益州牧時，任命他做勸學從事。諸葛亮死後，譙周前往奔喪，雖然朝廷隨後下詔禁止奔喪，但譙周仍因行動迅速而得以到達。劉禪立太子劉璿時任命他做太子僕，調令家令，之後升任中散大夫，光祿大夫。炎興元年（263年）魏入侵蜀漢，勸後主劉禪降，遂被封為陽城亭侯，遷騎都尉，散騎常侍。

在蜀漢任官時期。見姜維多次北伐而虛耗蜀漢國力，因而不滿，著《仇國論》力陳姜維北伐師旅數出之失弊。

西元265年，文立拜訪譙周。譙周因病說話不清楚，於是寫上：「典午忽兮，月酉沒兮。」典午指的是司馬，月酉代表八月的時候，結果司馬昭果真在八月時病逝。

蜀滅後時任益州刺史的董榮亦對其相當敬重，曾掛其圖像於州學並令從事李通頌之。

人物形象

在《三國演義》中，以譙周多以星相家和反戰者的角色出現。

• 第65回隨劉璋投降劉備。

• 第80回諸葛亮和譙周商議勸劉備即帝位。

• 第91回諸葛亮準備北伐，譙周以天文勸阻諸葛亮不被接納。

• 第102回再勸阻諸葛亮停止北伐，仍不被接納。

• 第105回譙周觀星看出諸葛亮逝世，報告劉禪。

• 第112回姜維準備北伐，譙周作《仇國論》勸阻不被接納。

• 第115回再次勸阻姜維仍不被接納。

• 第118回魏軍迫近，勸劉禪投降魏國。

• 第119回隨劉禪降魏。

外表性格

身高八尺，相貌純撲，性格坦率，沒有辯才，但很有學識。

著作

《仇國論》：用因餘和肇建兩國的紛爭，由古喻今，提及周文王，勾踐以穩定而以小勝強，漢太祖處亂世而張良以速戰戰勝項羽。認為蜀漢當時應與民休息，減少用兵。

撰《古史考》、《蜀本紀》、《論語注》、《五經然否論》等，均佚。

家庭

父

• 譙𡸫，字榮始，尚書學者，精通河圖緯書，益州州府來召請他，都沒有答應，州府於是任命他為師友從事。

子

• 譙熙

• 譙賢

• 譙同：喜愛譙周的學習，被舉為孝廉，任錫縣縣令、東宮洗馬，被朝延徵召但沒有就任。

孫

• 譙秀，譙熙子，晉朝隱士。

• 譙登，譙賢子，晉揚烈將軍、梓潼太守。