The princeps
First appears in Book 1: The Three-Body Problem, chapter 32 (32)
Appearances
What you know
Book 1: The Three-Body Problem
- Ch 32The princeps rules Trisolaris and plans to send the fleet to seize Earth's solar system, calling Humans warlike and dangerous.
- Ch 32He ordered six thousand officials of the monitoring system dehydrated and burned, with the consul as kindling.
- Ch 33Shuts off the Pendulum Monument, declaring that it is now better for Trisolaris to have God awake, since God is blessing them.
- Ch 33Plans to contain Earth's science by 'killing' it, using miracles, negative portrayals of progress, and above all halting basic physics.
- Ch 33Warns that the science consul and all Project Sophon scientists will be guilty if a third unfolding attempt fails.
- Ch 33Orders the propaganda consul to publicize that civilizations in microcosmos are destroyed constantly, so people accept Earth's destruction with equanimity.
- Ch 33Decides to strictly control the flow of information, especially cultural information, from Earth to the Trisolaran populace.
Connections
- leadsTrisolaris
- enemy ofThe listener
- leadsTrisolaran consuls
Key moments
- Book 1 · Ch 32The princeps judges the listener
The princeps spares the listener to let him witness Earth's fall, orders six thousand monitoring officials burned, and commits to launching the fleet.
- Book 1 · Ch 33Emergency meeting at the Pendulum Monument
The princeps stops the pendulum, announces Earth's response, and explains the fleet faces death against accelerating human technology. He unveils plans to stifle Earth's science, including Project Sophon.
- Book 1 · Ch 33First unfolding fails
The first attempt to unfold a proton yields a harmless one-dimensional string whose threads drift through Trisolaris's atmosphere.
- Book 1 · Ch 33Second unfolding and the mirror attack
The second attempt produces a three-dimensional proton containing intelligence. It forms a giant parabolic mirror that burns the capital until the space defense corps destroys it.
- Book 1 · Ch 33Third proton unfolding succeeds
The proton is unfolded into a mirror plane in the sky, then wrapped around Trisolaris, plunging the planet into darkness and cold while circuits are etched onto it.
- Book 1 · Ch 33Sophon One tested
After circuits are etched, Sophon One boots and is shifted through dimensions up to six, demonstrating it can see inside people and enter enclosed spaces.
- Book 1 · Ch 33Four sophons completed and briefed
Sophons Two to Four are built and linked. At the Pendulum Monument, the science consul explains Sophon One and Two will go to Earth to sabotage its accelerator physics.