was one of the four great clans which dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period (794–1185). As a result of the near-total destruction of their rival clan, the Minamoto, in the Heiji Rebellion of 1160, Taira no Kiyomori, head of the clan, initiated the Genpei War at the height of his power. The end of the war, however, brought destruction to the Taira clan. Taira no Atsumori (平敦盛), young samurai killed by Kumagai Naozane who, because of his youth and innocence, became quite famous in death. Taira no Kiyomori (平清盛), head of the clan at the beginning of the war. Taira no Koremori (平維盛), grandson of Kiyomori. Taira no Munemori (平宗盛), son and heir of Kiyomori; head of the clan for much of the war. Taira no Noritsune (平教経), a Taira samurai. Taira no Shigehira (平重衡), general, son of Kiyomori. Taira no Tadanori (平忠度), general, brother of Kiyomori. Taira no Tokiko (平時子), wife of Kiyomori who committed suicide at the battle of Dan-no-ura. Taira no Tomomori (平知盛), general, son of Kiyomori. Taira no Yukimori (平行盛), general, commander of the Taira forces at the battle of Kojima. Taira no Kagekiyo (平景清), a Taira samurai, adopted from the Fujiwara clan. Allies and vassals: Emperor Antoku (安徳), Emperor of Japan and grandson of Taira no Kiyomori. Ōba Kagechika (大庭景親), vassal of the Taira. Saitō Sanemori (斎藤実盛), former vassal of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, switched sides and became a vassal of Taira no Munenori. Senoo Kaneyasu (妹尾兼康), vassal of the Taira who commanded at the Fukuryūji fortress. Taguchi Shigeyoshi (田口重能), Taira general who turned to the Minamoto camp upon seeing the tide turn at the battle of Dan no Ura, thus ensuring Minamoto victory. The sōhei (warrior-monks) of Enryaku-ji (延暦寺), at least in theory, on account of their rivalry with the Mii-dera sōhei, who were allied with the Minamoto. In literature Many stories and works of art depict this conflict. is the most famous, although many kabuki and bunraku plays reproduce events of the war as well. Ichinotani Futaba Gunki ('Chronicle of the battle of Ichi-no-Tani') by Namiki Sōsuke may be one of the more famous of these. The novel Shikeby Robert Shea features a somewhat fictionalized account of the wars, as seen from the perspectives of his two main characters, the Zinja Monk Jebu, and the Noblewoman Lady Shima Taniko. The names of the two rival clans have been changed, "Minamoto" to "Muratomo" and