Life

Chen Shi was the father of Chen Ji and the grandfather of Chen Qun. As he was the mayor (長) of Taiqui County, he acquired a nickname Chen Taiqui. He was the primogenitor of surname Chen of Yingchuan (潁川) and the central figure of the Qingliu school (清流派) in the Yingchuan (潁川) region.

Though he was raised at an impoverished family, he loved books and studies at early years. As he was the person of rightfulness, prejudiceless and generous, he was held in high repute among the common people. However, as he objected the eunuchs' abuse of power, he was prevented from holding government positions by the Disasters of Partisan Prohibitions. As he was prevented from government services, he lived a hermit life at his hometown. Whenever a civil lawsuit occurred, local residents used to call him to preside the case. Whenever consulted, Chen Shi provided them results that are consistent with reason, no one complained to him, such that it was said that "if you met the case that makes you feel that Chen Shi's decision was wrong, then it would be better to accept results in any way.".

After the Prohibitions were relieved, He Jin sent a messenger and called Chen Shi to his ministration, but Chen Shi did not accept He Jin's offer and died soon after.

When he died in 187, 30,000 crowd assembled at his funeral, and the number of those who wore mourning dress exceeded 100.

Descendants

Chen Baxian, the founding emperor of the Chen dynasty, traces his ancestry to Chen Shi. The Buddhist monk Chen Hui or Xuanzang also descends from Chen Shi.

樑上君子

有一天晚上，有一小偷溜到陳寔家裡，躲藏在屋樑上面，想趁機偷竊。

陳寔知道屋樑上面有人，並未喊人捉拿他，而是把子孫們叫到面前訓示：每個人都應該要努力上進，勿走上邪路。作壞事的人並不是生來就壞，只是平常不學好，慢慢養成了壞習慣。本來也可以是正人君子的卻變成了小人，不要學樑上君子的行為，（「夫人不可不自勉。不善之人未必本惡，習以性成，遂至于此。梁上君子者是矣！」），小偷感慚交併，下地叩頭請罪。陳寔勉勵他改惡向善，並贈絲絹布匹於屋梁上的盜賊，自此縣裡不再發生竊盜的事。

後人常以「陳寔遺盜」比喻義行善舉。如：「他以誠心義氣感化宵小流氓，導之於正途，可謂深具陳寔遺盜的精神。」

難兄難弟

陳寔曾評論陳紀、陳諶倆兄弟說：「元方難為兄，季方難為弟」，即兩人難分高下之意。

榮譽

南朝陳的開國君主高祖武皇帝陳霸先，源自潁川陳氏家族，以陳寔為先祖。564年（天嘉5年），陳文帝追封為康樂侯。569年（太建元年），陳宣帝加封潁川侯。

世系圖

注釋