--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm sorry, Prince Edvard. You had a…" description: "\"“I'm sorry, Prince Edvard. You had a wonderful civilization here on Marduk. You could have made almost anything of it. But it's too late now. You've to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/h-beam-piper-22331_barbarians_i-m-sorry-prince-edvard-you-had-a-wonder_2451818.jpg" --- # I'm sorry, Prince Edvard. You had a wonderful civilization… ![“I'm sorry, Prince Edvard. You had a wonderful civilization here on Marduk. You could have made almost anything of it. But it's too late now. You've torn down the gates; the barbarians are in.” quote by H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/h-beam-piper-22331_barbarians_i-m-sorry-prince-edvard-you-had-a-wonder_2451818.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/h-beam-piper-22331_barbarians_i-m-sorry-prince-edvard-you-had-a-wonder_2451818.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44f/h-beam-piper-22331_barbarians_i-m-sorry-prince-edvard-you-had-a-wonder_2451818.jpg) > ““I'm sorry, Prince Edvard. You had a wonderful civilization here on Marduk. You could have made almost anything of it. But it's too late now. You've torn down the gates; the barbarians are in.”” [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker apologizes for a lost civilization, but it's too late as the barbarians have already taken over. **In simple terms:** Apology comes after irreversible loss. Key Takeaway Acknowledge loss before it's too late. Themes regret civilization loss history Mood somber reflective Type narrative philosophical When to use this quote - historical analysis - fictional world‑building - strategic planning Key Concepts political science anthropology Questions to Reflect On - Can apologies ever restore what’s lost? - What can be done after irreversible change? A Different Perspective Apology may not reverse damage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barbarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/) [Civilization Marduk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization-marduk-577617/) [Gates Barbarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gates-barbarians-577616/) [Marduk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marduk-577618/) [Marduk Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marduk-late-577615/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) ## Related quotes > [For a moment Ethan simply stares. 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It is too much in love with money - worshipping the god of the marketplace, the golden calf.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-saatchi/america-s-critics-can-be-heard-everywhere-it-is-too-much-in-love-with/) [Maurice Saatchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-saatchi/) > [If you go back to the Conan the Barbarian series, I really liked that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/if-you-go-back-to-the-conan-the-barbarian-series-i-really-liked-that/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [Is Islam a religion of peace? I'm sure for some of the practitioners, but it's been hijacked by people who have an ideology that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/is-islam-a-religion-of-peace-i-m-sure-for-some-of-the-practitioners/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [The idea that war should be conducted within a moral framework may seem like a quaint medieval practice, but as speech separates humans from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-idea-that-war-should-be-conducted-within-a-moral-framework-may/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fain would we remain barbarians, if our claim to civilization were to be based on the gruesome glory of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fain-would-we-remain-barbarians-if-our-claim-to-civilization-were-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One simply cannot engage in barbarous action without becoming a barbarian, because one cannot defend human values by calculated and unprovoked violence without doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/one-simply-cannot-engage-in-barbarous-action-without-becoming-a/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [School curricula that ignore the arts produce highly educated Barbarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/school-curricula-that-ignore-the-arts-produce-highly-educated/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) ## More by H. Beam Piper > [Keep a goverment poor and weak and it's your servant; when it is rich and powerful it becomes your master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/keep-a-goverment-poor-and-weak-and-it-s-your-servant-when-it-is-rich/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) > [“What I object to is the way you're raiding the Sword-Worlds." "You're crazy!" Basil Gorram exploded. "Young man," Harkaman reproved, "the conversation was between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/what-i-object-to-is-the-way-you-re-raiding-the-sword-worlds-you-re/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) > [English is the result of Norman men-at-arms attempting to pick up Saxon barmaids and is no more legitimate than any of the other results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/english-is-the-result-of-norman-men-at-arms-attempting-to-pick-up/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) > [And when someone makes a statement you don't understand, don't tell him he's crazy. Ask him what he means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/and-when-someone-makes-a-statement-you-don-t-understand-don-t-tell/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) > [“Simon, speaking as one sovereign prince to another, you have a lot to learn. You've learned one important lesson already, that a ruler must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/simon-speaking-as-one-sovereign-prince-to-another-you-have-a-lot-to/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) > [Sanity, it would seem, was a dangerously contagious disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/sanity-it-would-seem-was-a-dangerously-contagious-disease/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) > [“On Aditya, such would be unthinkable; on Aditya, everybody respects authority. Whether it's respectable or not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/on-aditya-such-would-be-unthinkable-on-aditya-everybody-respects/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) > [Apparently, on New Texas, killing a politician was not malum in se, and was mallum prohibitorum only to the extent that what happened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/apparently-on-new-texas-killing-a-politician-was-not-malum-in-se-and/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) > [Take a drink because you pity yourself, and then the drink pities you and has a drink, and then two good drinks get together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/take-a-drink-because-you-pity-yourself-and-then-the-drink-pities-you/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) > [Only the incompetent wait until the last extremity to use force, and by then, it is usually too late to use anything, even prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/only-the-incompetent-wait-until-the-last-extremity-to-use-force-and/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) > [“You mean, the people are armed?" Prince Bentrik was incredulous. "Great Satan, aren't yours?" Prince Trask was equally surprised. "Then your democracy's a farce,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/you-mean-the-people-are-armed-prince-bentrik-was-incredulous-great/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) > [“It should belong to everybody. Let us call it the Commonwealth. That means something everybody owns in common." "Something everybody owns, nobody owns," Mykhyl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/it-should-belong-to-everybody-let-us-call-it-the-commonwealth-that/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) > [Vengeance is a strange human motivation --- it can drive a man to do things which he neither would nor could achieve without it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/vengeance-is-a-strange-human-motivation-it-can-drive-a-man-to-do/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) > [“I wanted to find out why. But when Professor Dandrik saw what was happening, he became almost hysterical, and ordered the accelerator shut down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/i-wanted-to-find-out-why-but-when-professor-dandrik-saw-what-was/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) > [“It may just be," he added, "that there is something fundamentally unworkable about government itself. As long as Homo sapiens terra is a wild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-beam-piper/it-may-just-be-he-added-that-there-is-something-fundamentally/) [H. Beam Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) [Explore all 27 H. Beam Piper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-beam-piper/) ## More Barbarians quotes > [School curricula that ignore the arts produce highly educated Barbarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/school-curricula-that-ignore-the-arts-produce-highly-educated/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [One simply cannot engage in barbarous action without becoming a barbarian, because one cannot defend human values by calculated and unprovoked violence without doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/one-simply-cannot-engage-in-barbarous-action-without-becoming-a/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [Fain would we remain barbarians, if our claim to civilization were to be based on the gruesome glory of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fain-would-we-remain-barbarians-if-our-claim-to-civilization-were-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The idea that war should be conducted within a moral framework may seem like a quaint medieval practice, but as speech separates humans from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-idea-that-war-should-be-conducted-within-a-moral-framework-may/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Is Islam a religion of peace? I'm sure for some of the practitioners, but it's been hijacked by people who have an ideology that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/is-islam-a-religion-of-peace-i-m-sure-for-some-of-the-practitioners/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [If you go back to the Conan the Barbarian series, I really liked that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/if-you-go-back-to-the-conan-the-barbarian-series-i-really-liked-that/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [America's critics can be heard everywhere. It is too much in love with money - worshipping the god of the marketplace, the golden calf.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-saatchi/america-s-critics-can-be-heard-everywhere-it-is-too-much-in-love-with/) [Maurice Saatchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-saatchi/) > [I believe that every single human being is entitled to the protection of our laws, whether they can vote or not. Whether they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-believe-that-every-single-human-being-is-entitled-to-the-protection/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The waiter brought fresh-baked bread and cheese, a bottle of sparkling water for Annabeth, and a Coke with ice for me (because I’m a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/the-waiter-brought-fresh-baked-bread-and-cheese-a-bottle-of-sparkling/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Why is she afraid?" he asked. "She's not Anjin-san. Just a little nervous. Please excuse her. She's never seen a foreigner close to before."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/why-is-she-afraid-he-asked-she-s-not-anjin-san-just-a-little-nervous/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [If all the barbarian conquerors had been annihilated in the same hour, their total destruction would not have restored the empire of the West:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/if-all-the-barbarian-conquerors-had-been-annihilated-in-the-same-hour/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [The Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/the-islamic-conquest-of-india-is-probably-the-bloodiest-story-in/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [In this metallic age of barbarians, only a relentless cultivation of our ability to dream, to analyse and to captivate can prevent our personality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/in-this-metallic-age-of-barbarians-only-a-relentless-cultivation-of/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [The member of a culture ... purposely avoids the relationship of intimacy; he wants the object somehow depicted and fictionalized. ... He is embarrassed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/the-member-of-a-culture-purposely-avoids-the-relationship-of-intimacy/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [“Politics is the moat, the walls, beyond which lie the barbarians. Fail to keep them at bay, and everything burns.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/politics-is-the-moat-the-walls-beyond-which-lie-the-barbarians-fail/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) [Browse all 280 Barbarians quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I'm sorry, Prince Edvard. You had a wonderful civilization here on Marduk. You could have made almost anything of it. But it's too late now. You've torn down the gates; the barbarians are in.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "H. 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