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Listener 1379
The princeps is the leader of Trisolaris as the alien society prepares to set out for Earth. Having evolved to survive the trauma and instability of Chaotic Eras, he prides himself on his “calmness and numbness” in the face of disaster. However, this same numbness allows him to commit acts of violence without hesitation, whether putting thousands of his soldiers to death or plotting to destroy all of human civilization. The princeps is thus particularly horrified by the listener’s sense of empathy and moral obligation.
The Princeps of Trisolaris Quotes in The Three-Body Problem
The The Three-Body Problem quotes below are all either spoken by The Princeps of Trisolaris or refer to The Princeps of Trisolaris . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 32 Quotes
The metallic Trisolaran spirit has infiltrated each of our cells and solidified. You really believe it can melt again? I'm an ordinary man living at the bottom of society. No one would pay any attention to me. My life is spent alone, without wealth, without status, without love, and without hope. If I can save a distant, beautiful world that I have fallen in love with, then my life has not been wasted.
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After intercepting Ye’s message from earth with a pacifist warning, listener 1739 is caught and interrogated by the princeps of Trisolaris. In this quotation, the listener explains his reasoning: the Trisolarans live in so much constant danger that they no longer value anything not directly related to their own survival. For most residents of this unstable planet, there is neither “love” nor “beauty” nor anything to make each day count—suggesting that as with human beings, these alien creatures need to find meaning in quotidian life in order to make their existence worthwhile. But if this passage is in part about Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimu
Chapter 33 Quotes
“Even in nature, the destruction of universes must be happening at every second—for example, through the decay of neutrons. Also, a high energy cosmic ray entering the atmosphere may destroy thousands of such miniature universes…You're not feeling sentimental because of this, are you?”
“You amuse me. I will immediately notify the propaganda console and direct him to repeatedly publicize the scientific fact to the world. The people of Trisolaris must understand that the destruction of civilizations is a common occurrence that happens every second of every hour.”
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As the princeps experiments with the creation of the sophon particles (which are highly intelligent proton computers), he begins to understand that intelligent life exists at—and is destroyed at—many levels and scales. But rather than feeling “sentimental” about this fact, the princeps uses this shifting sense of scale to minimize the importance of other civilizations and worlds (as can be seen in the staccato, hyper-rational tone of his conversation with a scientific expert). In many ways, then, this passage represents the most dramatic exploration of a pressing question throughout the novel: what counts as history? How does anyone know whether Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia
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The Princeps of Trisolaris Character Timeline in The Three-Body Problem
The timeline below shows where the character The Princeps of Trisolaris appears in The Three-Body Problem. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 32. Trisolaris: The Listener
The princeps (leader) of Trisolaris did not live in a palace exactly like the one in Three...
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The princeps called the listener to his palace, and the two began to debate whether earth’s “warlike”...
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While the princeps believed that, should the Trisolarans make it to the stability of earth, they too could...
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The princeps summoned the consul in charge of the listening posts. He ordered that the consul and...
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Chapter 33. Trisolaris: Sophon
Years later (8.6 earth years, to be precise), the princeps ordered a meeting of the Trisolaran government at the Pendulum monument. Through the freezing cold...
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Before the Trisolarans could celebrate, however, the princeps went on. Having learned more about earth’s history, he had concluded that human technology was...
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Still, the princeps was gratified to know that the message had come from a human (Ye), who was...
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...single proton into a giant supercomputer—a project they called Project Sophon. To do this, the princeps and his science consuls created a giant particle accelerator; they then unfolded a nine-dimensional proton...
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...this failed experiment appeared in the Trisolaran atmosphere as thin strings of light. To the princeps’s dismay, his consuls justified this failure by explaining that “in scientific experiments, there has to...
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The princeps asked his science consuls whether the eyes were alive, and they replied that though the...
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...able to split the mirror into many pieces, saving the Trisolarans from certain death. The princeps was nervous to try any more experiments, given how dangerous this one had been. Still,...
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Before their next experiment, the princeps asked his science consuls if intelligent life had been destroyed in this latest try. The...
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Meanwhile, the princeps learned that the alienated forces on earth were growing. But even as some humans wanted...
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