生平

彭越原本捕鱼为生，也曾聚众为盗匪，对抗官府。秦末陈胜、吴广发动大泽之变后，彭越被乡里推举起兵。起初彭越不愿，后来被催促，只好约定次日清晨某时集结起义，次日人群零零星星前来，最后一个人居然直到中午才到，彭越说：「大家公推我领导，必须建立纪律。今天聚集起兵，大家都迟到，无法依照军法处斩这么多人，只好斩最后一个到的。」于是中午才到者当场斩首，建立军威。

秦亡，项羽分封入关诸侯，彭越未得封赏。

汉王元年（前206年），因封赏不均，齐田荣举兵，自立为齐王，攻项羽所封之齐王（临淄王）田都和济北王田安。田荣拢络彭越，给彭越将军的印信，让他到济阴攻击楚兵，大破楚将萧公角。

汉王二年（前205年），被汉王刘邦收买，拜彭越为魏国国相，其实独立于魏王豹，彭越仍然统帅自己的部队，略定梁地。

汉王三年五月（前203年），彭越率军渡睢水，与楚将项声、薛公战于下邳（今江苏邳州古邳镇），击杀薛公。

汉王三年九月，刘邦采用郎中郑忠之策，派将军刘贾、卢绾将卒二万人、骑数百，由渡白马津，进入楚地佐助彭越。汉军与彭越联军烧掉楚军积聚的粮草，楚军乏食。楚军回击刘贾，刘贾坚守不出不与楚军交战，与彭越互相呼应。

接著彭越攻梁地，下睢阳、外黄等十七城。项羽无奈，只好留大司马曹咎守成皋，嘱令不与出战。然后东击彭越，迅速拿下陈留、睢阳、外黄等地。彭越败北，逃到谷城。

汉王四年秋，项羽南走阳夏，彭越趁势攻取昌邑旁二十馀城，得谷十馀万斛，送给汉军。

汉王五年冬十月，刘邦立彭越为梁王，统治睢阳以北至谷城，于是出兵助汉。十一月，汉将刘贾渡淮围寿春，楚大司马周殷叛楚，在舒县、六县屠城，举九江兵迎英布，并在城父屠城。

汉高祖十一年，刘邦讨伐阳夏侯陈豨，要彭越出兵援助，彭越称病不往，只派部将卫胠带兵前往。刘邦灭陈豨后，有人告发彭越预谋造反。

彭越被刘邦下令拘捕后，废为庶人，流放蜀郡青衣县（今四川省乐山市）。途中，彭越遇到吕后，向她求情，希望发配回故乡昌邑。吕后假装应允，并将彭越带回洛阳，但又命彭越的舍人控告彭越再次谋反，随即将彭越处斩，廷尉王恬开以谋反罪判处彭越灭族，刘邦允之。

彭越尸体被吕后处以醢刑（剁成肉酱），分赐天下王公，用以威吓诸侯。

墓地

彭越墓位于河北省保定市清苑县城西南21公里，北王力村北15公里处，唐河南岸。传说原规模很大，墓前有石马、石人、石碑、牌坊，南北向有神道，神道两侧有石像生等。现存彭越墓封土长8米，宽28米，高0.8米，占地面积22.4平方米。墓前石人、石马已沉入地下，文化大革命期间曾挖出石翁仲，后又埋入地下。

1982年，彭越墓列为河北省文物保护单位。

部下

• 扈辄，陈豨叛变时，彭越称病不往，刘邦大怒，扈辄劝彭越造反，彭越不听。

• 卫胠，陈豨叛变时，彭越称病不往，仅派将军卫胠前往支援。

• 栾布，彭越故友，遭盗贼掳走，贩卖至燕地，却从一名奴隶变成燕王臧荼的将领，燕王叛乱被平定后，彭越请求释放栾布，让栾布到自己的王府。

• 李超，李信之子。

评价

• 吕雉：「彭越壮士也，今徙之蜀，此自遗患。」（《史记·卷九十·魏豹彭越列传第三十》）

• 栾布：「方上之困于彭城，败荥阳、成皋间，项王所以遂不能西者，徒以彭王居梁地，与汉合从苦楚也。当是之时，王一顾，与楚则汉破，与汉则楚破。且垓下之会，微彭王，项氏不亡。天下已定，彭王剖符受封，亦欲传之万世。今陛下一徵兵于梁，彭王病不行。而陛下疑以为反；反形未具，以苛小案诛灭之。」

• 英布：「上老矣，厌兵，必不能来。使诸将，诸将独患淮阴、彭越，今皆已死，馀不足畏也。」（《史记·卷九十一·黥布列传第三十一》）

• 司马迁：「魏豹、彭越虽故贱，然已席卷千里，南面称孤，乘胜日有闻矣。怀畔逆之意，及败，不死而虏囚，身被刑戮，何哉？中材已上且羞其行，况王者乎！彼无异故，智略绝人，独患无身耳。得摄尺寸之柄，其云蒸龙变，欲有所会其度，以故幽囚而不辞云。」（《史记·卷九十·魏豹彭越列传第三十》）

• 班固：「高祖定天下，功臣异姓而王者八国。张耳、吴芮、彭越、黥布、臧荼、卢绾与两韩信（韩信、韩王信），皆徼一时之权变，以诈力成功，咸得裂土，南面称孤。见疑强大，怀不自安，事穷势迫，卒谋叛逆，终于灭亡。」（《汉书·卷三十四》）

• 陆机：「彭越观时，张迹匿光。人具尔瞻，翼尔鹰扬。威凌楚城，质委汉王。靖难河济，即宫旧粱。」

• 司马贞：「魏咎兄弟，因时而王。豹后属楚，其国遂亡。仲起昌邑，归汉外黄。往来声援，再续军粮。徵兵不往，菹醢何伤。」（《史记索隐述赞》）

• 张说：「师倩沈勇而能断，求之古人，彭越、吴汉类也。」（《全唐文·卷二百二十三 》）

• 苏洵：「汉之卫、霍、赵充国，唐之李靖、李绩，贤将也。汉之韩信、黥布、彭越，唐之薛万彻、侯君集、盛彦师，才将也。贤将既不多有，得才者而任之可也。」

• 陈元靓：「仡仡彭王，用归汉祖。血战群龙，风从彪虎。威慑万夫，气雄阵鼓。攻灭秦项，清夷区宇。奋发巨野，封崇梁土。信布齐名，推扬我武。」（《事林广记后集》）

艺术

文学作品

• 《喻世明言》，冯梦龙著。第三十一回，说刘备乃彭越转世。

• 原著《三国演义》第九回，李傕以彭越挠楚之法击退吕布。

影视作品

Life

Uprising

Peng Yue was a native of Changyi (present-day Jinxiang County, Shandong), and was originally a fisherman. Following the Dazexiang Uprising in 209 BC, Peng Yue was nominated by his fellows to be their leader and he led an uprising against the Qin dynasty. Initially, Peng Yue was reluctant to rebel, but obliged eventually and he arranged for his supporters to meet him the next morning. However, his men did not arrive on time and the last one came at noon. Peng Yue said, "Since everyone has chosen me to be the leader, there must be discipline. As there are too many people who were late today, I cannot possibly punish all of them. The last man to arrive will be executed."

Chu-Han Contention

In 205 BC, Peng Yue allied with Liu Bang, the King of Han, and became one of Liu's generals after Liu promised to grant him land and the title of a vassal king. Earlier on, Peng Yue had refused to send his troops to help Liu Bang, that resulted in the latter's defeat by Xiang Yu at the Battle of Guling. Three years later, Peng Yue conquered more than 20 cities around Changyi and acquired a large amount of supplies. He then led his troops southwards and joined the armies of Han Xin and Liu Bang at the Battle of Gaixia against Xiang Yu. Peng Yue's contributed greatly to the eventual Han victory over Xiang Yu. After Liu Bang founded the Han dynasty, Peng Yue was conferred the title of "King of Liang" (梁王) and granted the lands of former Wei state as his kingdom.

Death

In 196 BC, Liu Bang led an army to suppress a rebellion by Chen Xi, the Marquis of Yangxia, and he requested reinforcements from Peng Yue. Peng Yue claimed to be ill and sent his subordinates to help Liu Bang in place of himself. After Chen Xi's rebellion was quelled, Liu Bang heard rumours that Peng Yue was intending to rebel against him as well, and he had Peng arrested. Peng Yue was demoted to the status of a commoner and exiled to the remote Qingyi County (in present-day Ya'an, Sichuan). Along the way, Peng Yue encountered Empress Lü Zhi, who wanted to have him killed. He pleaded with her to spare his life and let him return home to Changyi, and the empress pretended to agree. Peng Yue was brought back to Luoyang where he was subsequently executed. Empress Lü ordered his clan be put to death as well. Peng Yue's corpse was minced into pieces, salted like meat, and distributed to all the noble families of China, who found this very disturbing.

Legacy

Peng Yue is sometimes venerated as a door god in Chinese and Taoist temples, usually partnered with Ying Bu. He is one of the 32 historical figures who appear as special characters in the video game Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI by Koei.