生平

谢艾初为前凉君主张重华的主簿。建兴三十四年（346年），后赵将领麻秋、王擢攻凉，金城太守张冲降赵，凉州震动。时张重华派了征南将军裴恒抵抗，裴恒却在广武防守，久久不战。司马张耽就向张重华推荐由谢艾领兵，认为必能抵御并消灭外敌。张重华于是问谢艾有甚么策略，谢艾遂自求七千兵以破敌。张重华十分高兴，授谢艾中坚将军，率步骑五千进击麻秋。谢艾进兵振武，与后赵军大战，大败对方并杀五千多人。谢艾因功获封福禄伯。

次年，后赵将领石宁增援麻秋，凉将宋秦又降赵，张重华又以谢艾为使持节、军师将军，率三万步骑兵进军临河。谢艾乘轻车，载白帽，鸣鼓而行，麻秋见此认为是对方轻视自己，大怒之下命三千黑矟龙骧进攻。谢艾身边的人见状都很惊惶，左战帅李伟更建议谢艾弃车乘马，但谢艾不但不听，还下车坐在胡牀指挥军队，后赵军见此就以为有伏兵，不敢前进。同时，凉将张瑁率兵阻截后赵军后方，赵军后退时谢艾就乘势进攻，终大破赵军，赵将杜勋、汲鱼阵亡，俘杀共一万三千人，麻秋单骑退还大夏。张重华以功进谢艾为太府左长史。

不久，麻秋与石宁率十二万兵进屯河南，张重华派了将军牛旋抵御，但退守枹罕，姑臧人心震恐，张重华想亲征，为谢艾及索遐谏止，于是又任命谢艾为使持节、都督征讨诸军事、行衞将军，索遐为军正将军，共率二万兵抵抗。时孙伏都也来增援麻秋，赵军遂于长最筑城。谢艾誓师时有风吹动牙旗，令旗向东南舞动，索遐于是激励士兵：「以风为号令，今日旌旗指向敌人，上天都帮助我们呀。」谢艾随后出兵神鸟，击退了王擢前锋，随后又进攻麻秋，大破对方并令其退还金城。谢艾回军时顺道讨伐叛凉的斯骨真等共一万馀落，共杀千多人，俘二千八百人和牛羊十多万头，大胜而归。

谢艾助前凉击退了后赵，张重华亦善待他，却招来平时得张重华宠信的人妒忌，于是联合起来中伤他，谢艾因而外调为酒泉太守。建兴四十一年（353年），张重华病重，下手令想徵召谢艾入朝为衞将军、监中外诸军事，担当辅政工作，但遭张祚及赵长等人压下而未能传达。同年张重华去世，世子张曜灵继位，张祚就矫令为辅政大臣，不久更废掉张曜灵自己登位，并杀害谢艾。

性格特徵

谢艾在凉州以文才著名，是西土名士，张骏曾言：「谢艾的文章虽长但不可以删节，王济的文章简略但不可以增益。」

注释

Military career

Xie Ai was initially regarded as only capable in civilian matters, and apparently served as a civilian official during the rule of Zhang Chonghua's father Zhang Jun. In 346, in light of Zhang Jun's death and succession by Zhang Chonghua, Later Zhao launched a major attack against Former Liang, with intent to destroy Former Liang. Under the recommendation of the general Zhang Chen, who knew of Xie's capabilities in military strategy, Zhang Chonghua made Xie a general and had him face the Later Zhao forces commanded by Wang Zhuo and Ma Qiu. After an initial victory later in 346, Zhang Chonghua created Xie the Count of Fulu. In 347, as Ma sieged the important city Fuhan (, in modern Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu), Zhang Chonghua sent Xie to try to relieve the city. As Xie arrived at the frontline, he was seen wearing a white cap and riding in a wagon—making him appear to be a civilian—and Ma felt insulted that Xie apparently did not consider his siege an emergency. He sent some elite soldiers to make an attack against Xie, but Xie calmly responded, and Ma's elite soldiers thought they were getting into a trap and stopped their advance. Meanwhile, an army sent by Xie had already gone behind them and started an attack. Xie then advanced as well and dealt Ma a great loss. In the fall, Ma attacked Former Liang again and was again repelled by Xie. (However, Xie's victories appeared to be insufficient for Former Liang to regain the territories lost in the initial Later Zhao attack, south of the Yellow River.)

Several years later, due to defamations by Zhang Chonghua's attendants Zhao Zhang and Wei Ji, Zhang Chonghua sent Xie out of the capital to be the governor of Jiuquan Commandery (, roughly modern Jiuquan, Gansu). However, when Zhang Chonghua grew gravely ill in 353, he tried to recall Xie to be regent for his son and heir Zhang Yaoling. The order, however, was intercepted by Zhao and Zhang Chonghua's brother Zhang Zuo and not announced. Zhang Chonghua soon died and was succeeded by Zhang Yaoling, but real power was in Zhang Zuo's hands. In early 354, Zhang Zuo, with the support of Zhang Chonghua's mother Princess Dowager Ma (with whom he had an affair), formally took over as ruler, and he, still bearing grudge against Xie for having earlier warned Zhang Chonghua about his treachery, had Xie put to death.