《汉书·传·楚元王传》
便摘录《诗》《书》所载的贤妃贞妇，使国、家兴旺可供效法的，以及宠爱出导致乱亡的，编次为《列女传》，共八篇，以警戒天子。
故采取《诗》、《书》所载贤妃贞妇，兴国显家可法则，及孽嬖乱亡者，序次为《列女传》，凡八篇，以戒天子。
He selected stories from the Shijing and Shujing of worthy concubines and chaste women who could serve as models for the prosperity of countries and families and also stories of women whose favoritism led to chaos and collapse, and arranged them into eight chapters, the Lienüzhuan, to serve as a warning to the Son of Heaven.