蘭陵王高長恭是北齊後期一位重要的將領，以邙山之戰的表現為人所知，歌頌其勇武作戰的《蘭陵入陣曲》至今仍有流傳，因此在民間傳說甚至一些史家的論著中，蘭陵王被視為一員百戰百勝的名將，身繫國家安危。筆者通過分析相關史料，將蘭陵王真實面目還原，認為其人盛名之下其實難副，雖然本身具備一定的軍事才能，但絕非折衝之將。其崛起在很大程度上是皇室出於為維護其凌駕於其他勛貴之上的目的而進行的有意提拔，以起到保證軍事指揮權不旁落外姓之手的作用。而其得以被定型為名將而名傳後世，《蘭陵入陣曲》的傳播起了重要的推助作用，進一步而言，因為蘭陵王本身具備的漢、鮮卑二元民族屬性適應了當時下層社會正處於民族融合過程之中的時代趨勢，故而為兩大民族所接受、傳唱。蘭陵王的悲劇命運是中央集權強化的必然結果，這其中也夾雜著民族衝突的因素。

Prince Lanling, who is famous of the Battle of Mangshan, was an important general in the late Northern Qi Dynasty. The song, Lanling defeated enemy, which described his heroic, was passed from generation to generation.Prince Lanling was described as a ever-victorious, considerate general in many folklore and historians’ thesis.But the author don’t agree with that.Through the analysis of historical datas, the author conclude that Prince Lanling, wasn’t a military elite but with some military abilities. His rise was manipulated by the loyal family to protect the central state power from being grabbed by other nobilities. Prince Lanling, who has both Han and Xianbei national characteristics, had exactly adapted to the trend of that time which was in the process of national amalgamation. The Song of Lanling defeated enemy, was sung and accepted by the two naions, which has propelled him in a further way. The strengthened central state power and the national conflicts,have resulted in his tragic fate inevitably.