Emptiness Quote by Italo Calvino
““In the lives of emperors there is a moment which follows pride in the boundless extension of the territories we have conquered, and the melancholy and relief of knowing we shall soon give up any thought of knowing and understanding them. There is a sense of emptiness that comes over us at evening, with the odor of the elephants after the rain and the sandalwood ashes growing cold in the braziers, a dizziness that makes rivers and mountains tremble on the fallow curves of the planispheres where they are portrayed, and rolls up, one after the other, the despatches announcing to us the collapse of the last enemy troops, from defeat to defeat, and flakes the wax of seals of obscure kings who beseech our armies’ protection, offering in exchange annual tributes of precious metals, tanned hides, and tortoise shell. It is the desperate moment when we discover that this empire, which had seemed to us the sum of all wonders, is an endless, formless ruin, that corruption’s gangrene has spread too far to be healed by our scepter, that the triumph over enemy sovereigns has made us the heirs of their long undoing.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Invisible Cities, 1972
The emperor feels emptiness after conquest, realizing power leads to decay and loss of meaning.
In simple terms: Powerful achievements can become hollow and corrupt.
Key Takeaway
Recognize limits of ambition.
Themes
history
power
impermanence
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- political analysis
- personal ambition assessment
- historical study
Key Concepts
imperial hubris
existential emptiness
decay of empires
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you confront emptiness after success?
- What safeguards prevent corruption?
A Different Perspective
The poetic description may obscure practical lessons.
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