生平

司马绍自小聪慧，故此特别受父亲司马睿所宠爱。后于永嘉元年（307年）随父亲一同移镇建业（后改建康，今江苏南京市）。建兴元年（313年），司马睿升任左丞相，拜司马绍为东中郎将，镇守广陵。316年，晋愍帝所在的长安被前赵攻陷，晋愍帝出降，西晋灭亡。有鉴于此，317年，司马睿称晋王，建元建武，并立司马绍为晋王太子。318年，司马睿即位称帝，改元太兴，司马绍被立为皇太子。

永昌元年（322年）发生王敦之乱，大将军王敦领兵进攻建康并占领石头城，晋元帝派王导等人进攻石头城但都被王敦击败，司马绍于是打算率领将士与王敦决一死战，即将出发时因遭太子中庶子温峤极力劝阻而没有实行。随后王敦自任丞相并掌握朝政，见司马绍勇而有谋，而且朝野中亦有很高名望，于是打算诬陷他不孝而将他废掉，但因温峤等大臣支持司马绍，王敦终也不能废掉司马绍。

晋元帝因王敦之乱而忧愤成疾，于当年闰十一月己丑日（323年1月3日）病逝，司马绍在次日继位，为晋明帝，并由司空王导辅政。

王敦虽于永昌元年（322年）就回到武昌遥控朝廷，但因为图谋篡位，于太宁元年（323年）暗示要朝廷徵召自己入朝，晋明帝于是以手诏徵召王敦。同年，王允之乘酒宴而知道王敦的图谋，于是回京告诉其父王舒，王舒于是与王导一同报告晋明帝，得以早作防备。

次年，晋明帝既心知王敦意图，于是骑马微服去视察王敦于于湖的营地，但遭到军人发现，并派五名骑兵追捕。晋明帝逃走时，用水浸湿所骑马匹的粪便来使其降温，又拿出七宝鞭交给路旁卖食物的婆婆，并要她出示给追来的骑兵。晋明帝走后不久，追兵就来到，并询问婆婆，婆婆于是取出七宝鞭，并称那人已经走得很远。骑兵们顾著传玩七宝鞭而在那里停留了很久，而且见马粪已冷，以为追不及了，于是都没有再追，晋明帝因此成功逃脱。

及后，晋明帝积极准备京师建康的防护，最终于当年成功击败王敦派来进攻的军队，平定了王敦之乱。王敦之乱后，晋明帝下令不再问罪于王敦一众官属，又分别以应詹为江州刺史、刘遐为徐州刺史、陶侃为荆州刺史、王舒为湘州刺史，重整各州形势，消除王敦以王氏宗族各领诸州以凌弱帝室的失衡情形。

太宁三年闰八月戊子（325年10月18日），司马绍病逝于东堂，年仅二十七岁。葬于武平陵，庙号肃祖。

性格特徵

• 司马绍年少聪明，小时候便曾经与父亲就「太阳与长安孰近」的问题作出不同答案的争辩。长大后聪明有机断，精于事理，于是能让国家从王敦之乱的乱局回复平定。

• 司马绍性至孝，有文武才略，敬重贤人，素好文辞，于是当时如王导、庾亮、温峤、桓彝、阮放等名臣都亲待他。而因他习武艺，善于安抚将士，于是任太子时东宫聚集很多人，亦得远近各人归心。

轶事

• 司马绍任太子时，想修建池苑楼台，但元帝不许。司马绍于是命手下的武士在一晚之间修好太子西池。

• 司马绍有宠妃宋禕，褘国色天香，善吹笛，乃石崇妾绿珠之女弟子，不久司马绍病笃，群臣进谏，请出宋褘，最后宋褘被送给吏部尚书阮孚。

• 司马绍在位时，曾问晋室得天下的事。王导于是告诉他司马懿当日发动高平陵之变诛除曹爽，树立蒋济等与自己同心的大臣；又说道曹髦被司马昭亲信贾充所命的成济弑杀一事。司马绍听后，将面庞伏在牀上，说：「若真的像你所说，晋室国祚又怎能够长远！」

评价

• 唐代房玄龄于《晋书》的「史臣曰」评论说：「维扬作宇，凭带洪流，楚江恒战，方城对敌，不得不推诚将相，以总戎麾。楼船万计，兵倍王室，处其利而无心者，周公其人也。威权外假，嫌隙内兴，彼有顺流之师，此无强籓之援。商逢九乱，尧止八音，明皇（案：晋明帝）负图，属在兹日。运龙韬于掌握，起天旆于江靡，燎其馀烬，有若秋原。去縗绖而践戎场，斩鲸鲵而拜园阙。镇削威权，州分江汉，覆车不践，贻厥孙谋。其后七十馀年，终罹敬道之害。或曰：『兴亡在运，非止上流。』岂创制不殊，而弘之者异也。」

• 唐代某贵族「公子」与虞世南的对话：「公子曰：『东晋自元帝已下，何为贤主？』先生曰：『晋自迁都江左，强臣擅命，（天子）垂拱南面，政非己出。王敦以磐石之宗，居上流之地，负才矜地，志怀冲问鼎，非明帝之雄断，王导之忠诚，则晋祚其移于他族矣。若使降年永久，佐任群贤，因洛、涧之遗黎，乘刘、石之衰运，兴复中原，不难图也。』」

• 王夫之在《读通鉴论》中给予了他很高的评价，称：「明帝不夭，中原其复矣乎！天假五胡以乱中夏，气数之穷也，帝乃早世！王敦之横，元帝惴惴而崩，帝以幼冲当多难，举动伟然出人意表，可不谓神武哉？」

学术考证

因王敦曾称呼晋明帝为：「黄须鲜卑奴」，黄须为西部鲜卑人常有特徵，陈寅恪认为其母出身燕代，此地多有鲜卑人，晋明帝可能因此有鲜卑血统。

各家所记的晋明帝庙号

肃祖

• 「庙号肃祖」（房玄龄《晋书·明帝纪》）、「昔我中宗（晋元帝庙号）、肃祖（晋明帝庙号）之基中兴也」（《晋书·王导传》载晋成帝册曰）

• 「惟中宗元皇帝、肃祖明皇帝、明穆皇后之灵」（《宋书·礼志三》成帝告先帝后曰）、「「晋景帝之于世祖，肃祖之于孝武，皆傍尊也」「晋世祖宗祠显宗、烈宗、肃祖」（《宋书·礼志四》韩贲、孙缅议）、「歌肃祖明皇帝：明明肃祖，阐弘帝胙」云云（《宋书·乐志二》）

• 「肃祖遗诏」云云（《世说新语·容止》刘孝标注引徐广《晋纪》）

• 「中宗元皇及肃祖明帝、丞相王茂弘、太尉庾元规并钦其风德，友而敬焉。及中宗肃祖升遐，王、庾又薨，乃隐迹剡山，以避当世」（《高僧传》卷4）

• 「成帝以太宁三年闰八月己丑即位，上明帝尊谥，庙曰肃祖」（《册府元龟》卷29）

肃宗

• 「肃宗明皇帝」（《资治通鉴》卷92、卷93）

• 「肃宗」（《资治通鉴考异》卷4、《资治通鉴目录》卷9）

• 「肃宗明皇帝」（《建康实录》卷6）

• 「肃宗，中宗长子也」、「肃宗欲使庾亮为中书监」、「肃宗之在东宫，孔演领太子中庶子」（《太平御览》卷148、卷220、卷245引何法盛《晋中兴书》）

• 「晋代祖宗孝宗、显宗、烈宗、肃宗，并是晋帝之伯」（《通典》卷47注左丞孙缅议）

家世

皇后

• 庾文君，庾亮妹，生晋成帝、晋康帝。

子女

• 司马衍，太宁三年立为太子，后为晋成帝。

• 司马岳，初封吴王，后徙琅琊王，晋成帝死后被立为晋康帝。

• 南康公主司马兴男，嫁桓温。

• 庐陵公主司马南弟，嫁刘惔。

• 南郡悼公主，嫁羊贲

注释

Early life

Sima Shao was born in 299, as the oldest son of his father Sima Rui, then the Prince of Langya, by his lowly-born concubine Lady Xun, who then in 300 gave birth to another son, Sima Pou (司马裒). Sima Rui's wife, Princess Yu Mengmu (虞孟母), who was herself childless, became very jealous of Lady Xun and mistreated her greatly. Lady Xun, not able to bear the abuse, complained bitterly, and was thrown out of the household. Sima Shao was therefore raised by Princess Yu, with whom he apparently had a cordial relationship. During his youth, he was considered intelligent and quick-thinking, although eventually his brother Sima Pou became more favored by their father.

While Sima Rui served as Left Prime Minister under Emperor Min, the teenage Sima Shao was put in charge of defending Guangling. After Sima Rui declared himself the Prince of Jin following Emperor Min's capture by Han Zhao in 316, he initially wanted to make Sima Pou his crown prince, but after Wang Dao pointed out that traditionally the older son should succeed him, he created Sima Shao crown prince. Sima Shao remained in that status after his father declared himself emperor (as Emperor Yuan) in 318, after Han Zhao executed Emperor Min.

As crown prince

While crown prince, Sima Shao was known for seeking out talented men and befriending them, treating them as friends and not as subordinates. These included Wang Dao, Yu Liang (whose sister Yu Wenjun he married), Wen Jiao, Huan Yi (桓彝), and Ruan Fang (阮放). He was also known for his filial piety and his literary studies. He later also added martial arts to his studies, and he often visited troops to encourage them.

When Wang Dun rebelled against Emperor Yuan in 322, the capital Jiankang fell easily to Wang. Upon hearing news that Wang had breached Jiankang's defenses, Crown Prince Shao was going to himself make a last stand, but Wen stopped him by cutting off the ropes off his horse. When Wang subsequently forced Emperor Yuan into submission, he considered deposing Crown Prince Shao by falsely accusing Crown Prince Shao of being disobedient to Emperor Yuan. However, Wen prevented this by publicly praising Crown Prince Shao of filial piety, making Wang's putative accusations not credible.

Early in 323, Emperor Yuan died in distress after his defeat by Wang. Crown Prince Shao succeeded to the throne as Emperor Ming.

Reign

One of the first things that Emperor Ming did was locating his birth mother Lady Xun, putting her in a mansion, and creating her the Lady of Jian'an. However, perhaps out of respect for his deceased stepmother Princess Yu (who had died in 312 but was posthumously honored as an empress), he never gave her an empress dowager title—and Emperor Ming honored Princess Yu's family as appropriately he would a mother's family—and he was particularly close to Princess Yu's brother Yu Yin (虞胤). A few months after he took the throne, Lady Xun moved into the palace. Emperor Ming also created his wife, Crown Princess Yu, empress.

Wang Dun did not think much of the new emperor, and he plotted usurping the throne. In summer 323, he had Emperor Ming summon him to the capital, but actually did not go to the capital, but only moved his headquarters from Wuchang (武昌, in modern Ezhou, Hubei) to Gushu (姑孰, in modern Ma'anshan, Anhui), closer to the capital, and also taking over the governorship of the capital province. When Emperor Ming tried to commission the official Chi Jian as the military commander at Hefei, positionally behind Wang, Wang resisted, and Emperor Ming was forced to recall Chi.

In 324, Wang Dun grew ill, and became resolved to overthrow Jin so that his adopted son, Wang Ying (王应), could be emperor. (This was after his initial two inclinations—ordering that his troops be disbanded after his death, or having Wang Ying continue to control his troops but pledging allegiance to Emperor Ming—were rejected by his strategists.) He also made Wen Jiao, by that point a trusted assistant, the mayor of Jiankang, to keep an eye on the emperor—forgetting that Wen was loyal to Emperor Ming, and upon arrival in Jiankang, Wen informed Emperor Ming of Wang's plans, as well as his illness. Wang Dao, also loyal to Emperor Ming, then falsely declared to the imperial forces that Wang Dun had died, further increasing their morale, and Emperor Ming reinforced his troops by summoning battle-tested soldiers from the northern borders with Later Zhao back to the capital. (When the generals in command of these forces, Su Jun and Liu Xia (刘遐) arrived at Jiankang, even though it was dark in the night, Emperor Ming went to personally visit the troops, greatly enhancing their morale.) Wang Dun then sent his forces east to Jiankang, headed by his brother Wang Han (王含, Wang Ying's biological father) and Qian Feng (钱凤), but could not decisively defeat the imperial troops. The imperial troops then attacked by, defeating Wang Han. Wang Dun, upon hearing initial news of defeat, died. The imperial forces then defeated Wang Han's troops more completely, forcing Wang Han and Wang Ying to flee, but they were captured by Wang Dun's brother Wang Shu (王舒), who executed them by drowning to show his loyalty.

In 325, Emperor Ming posthumously awarded officials who had died at Wang Dun's hands throughout the years with titles and honors. He also put the general Tao Kan, known for his military and governing capabilities, in charge of most of Wang Dun's former domain, including the key Jing Province (荆州, modern Hubei).

In fall 325, Emperor Ming grew ill. He entrusted his four-year-old son, Crown Prince Yan, to a group of high-level officials, including Sima Yang (司马羕) the Prince of Xiyang, Wang Dao, Bian Kun (卞壼), Chi Jian, Yu Liang, Lu Ye (陆瞱), and Wen Jiao, perhaps intending that they lead by group with a balance of power. He died soon thereafter—only 26 years old. The balance of power that he left was soon broken, however, as Empress Dowager Yu became the regent, and her brother Yu Liang became the most powerful of the officials, eventually offending Su Jun and Zu Yue into a rebellion that damaged Jin for years.

Era name

• Taining (太宁 tài níng) 323–326

Family

Consorts and Issue:

• Empress Mingmu, of the Yu clan of Yingchuan (明穆皇后 颍川庾氏; 297–328), personal name Wenjun (文君)

　• Princess Nankang (南康公主), personal name Xingnan (兴男)

　　• Married Huan Wen of Qiao, Duke Nan (谯国; 312–373)

　• Sima Yan, Emperor Cheng (成皇帝 司马衍; 321–342), first son

　• Sima Yue, Emperor Kang (康皇帝 司马岳; 322–344), second son

• Unknown

　• Princess Luling (庐陵公主; d. 357), personal name Nandi (南弟)

　　• Married Liu Tan of Pei (沛国 刘惔)

　• Princess Nandao (南悼公主)

　　• Married Yang Bi of Taishan (泰山 羊贲)

Ancestry