自上個世紀初，武氏祠畫象引起海內外學者的注意以後，漢畫中的戰爭圖就成為一個經常被討論的主題。過去的學者由於引用的材料、關注的焦點、角度和解讀的方法不盡一致，得到許多歧異甚大的結論。本文首先檢討中外學者一些歧異的說法，接著以榜題、類型、格套和意義脈絡分析的方法，釐清過去的分歧，並提出對胡漢戰爭圖意義的理解。

胡漢戰爭圖的畫象構成最少包含可以組合在一起，也可以獨立存在的兩大部分：一部分是「交戰圖」；另一部分是「獻俘圖」。此外，「狩獵圖」有時也和胡漢戰爭圖出現在共同或相鄰的畫面中。交戰、獻俘和狩獵三部分的畫面有時甚至交雜在一起，成為內容十分繁複的一個整體結構。事實上目前可考的胡漢戰爭圖，畫面上因加入了種種次要或屬於裝飾性的構成因素而顯得複雜多變。依構圖的佈局和繁簡，約略可分為「基本型」和「複合型」兩大類。基本型和複合型又可因佈局和背景的有無，分別作進一步的分類。

漢墓或祠堂中出現的胡漢戰爭圖，幾無例外，都在表現漢人如何擊敗胡人，贏得勝利；獻俘圖則在彰顯勝利的成果。二者意義一貫，可分可合。不論分合，它們都是透過一種格套化的圖象，表現一些當時人共同的期待和心理。

這一畫象題材出現時應有它創作時原本的意義，但在時間的過程裡，因人因地，衍生和附加的意義可以不斷增加而多重化，甚至可以因過於流於形式，特定的寓意變得模糊，裝飾的意味反而變得較重。胡漢戰爭圖原本是反映飽受邊患和徭役之苦的華夏之人對戰勝胡人，天下太平，得免於徭役的普遍期望。但西漢末至東漢初，胡漢戰爭圖的內涵已有了更多衍生的意義。其一是被用來象徵掃除升仙或進入死後世界旅途上的障礙，其二是用來歌頌死者在「武」的一面，符合允文允武的官員典型。而兩者都可能是這類畫象會出現在墓或祠堂中的理由。我們也不排除還有其它的理由和意義。

This paper attempts to discuss the theme of battle between the Chinese and barbarian by analyzing the cartouches, compositions, typologies, and meanings of the battle scene in order to offer a new understanding of the iconography. The pictorial program of the battle scene is composed of at least two parts, either combined as one setting or as independent units. The first is the depiction of the actual combat (jiaozhan tu 交戰圖), and the second is the image of presenting the prisoners of war (xianfu tu 獻俘圖). In addition, a hunting scene may sometimes also appear in the same pictorial frame as, or near, the battle scene.

The battle scene in Han pictorial stone carvings is invariably meant to describe the triumph of the Chinese over the barbarians, and the presentation of the prisoners intends to further glorify this victory. The original meanings of Han pictorial stone carvings were often obscured through layers of iconographies supplemented by different artists, patrons, and at different locations. Moreover, as the basic schemes became standardized, the meanings of the core images were increasingly overshadowed and skewed by the heavy presence of the accumulating decorative forms. I am inclined to agree with the theory proposed by Professor Hayashi Nao, who argues that the battle scene reflects the prevailing longing of the Han Chinese for returning to peaceful life after warding off the incursions of the northern nomads.

The extant late Western Han to early Eastern Han examples of the battle scene images reveal quite a complex iconographic development, which can be understood as symbolizing the removal of obstacles to journeying into immortality; yet another interpretation may be that the battle scene exalts the “martial” spirit (wu 武), which was considered as equal to the quality of “civil and literary” cultivation (wen 文) of an ideal public official. Both can be considered to be important functions of the battle scene, but we also need to consider the possibility that other reasons and meanings may also contribute to the inclusion of a battle scene in a mortuary setting.

胡漢戰爭圖; 漢代畫象石; 構成類型與意義

Sino-barbarian Battle; Han pictorial stone carvings; Iconography