Person

King Helü of Wu

r. 514–496 BCE · 6th century BCE · Also known as He Lü

Helü was king of Wu from 514 to 496 BCE, after seizing the throne by having his cousin King Liao assassinated. Advised by Wu Zixu and, by tradition, Sun Tzu, he defeated Chu at Boju and took its capital Ying in 506 BCE, making Wu a great power. He died of a wound received fighting the State of Yue at Zuili in 496 BCE.

Mentioned in 2 state histories

State of Xu (Huaiyi)State of Wu

See also

Cite this entry

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). King Helü of Wu. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/king-helu-of-wu
MLA: “King Helü of Wu.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/king-helu-of-wu. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “King Helü of Wu.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/king-helu-of-wu.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘King Helü of Wu’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/king-helu-of-wu (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻