--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A set of huge marble busts stared smugly…" description: "\"“A set of huge marble busts stared smugly down from on high: great merchants and financiers of Styrian history, by the look of them. Criminals made her..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4d/joe-abercrombie-791_fantasy_a-set-of-huge-marble-busts-stared-smugly_1949135.jpg" --- # A set of huge marble busts stared smugly down from on… ![“A set of huge marble busts stared smugly down from on high: great merchants and financiers of Styrian history, by the look of them. Criminals made heroes by colossal success.” quote by Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4d/joe-abercrombie-791_fantasy_a-set-of-huge-marble-busts-stared-smugly_1949135.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4d/joe-abercrombie-791_fantasy_a-set-of-huge-marble-busts-stared-smugly_1949135.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4d/joe-abercrombie-791_fantasy_a-set-of-huge-marble-busts-stared-smugly_1949135.jpg) > ““A set of huge marble busts stared smugly down from on high: great merchants and financiers of Styrian history, by the look of them. Criminals made heroes by colossal success.”” [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Statues of wealthy merchants are portrayed as smug, suggesting that society glorifies criminal success as heroism. **In simple terms:** Wealthy criminals are seen as heroes. Key Takeaway Question the admiration of unethical success. Themes power wealth morality Mood critical reflective Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - business - politics - media - education Key Concepts literature social critique Questions to Reflect On - Why do societies idolize successful but immoral figures? - What can we do to recognize true heroism? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Busts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/busts-1927223/) [Busts Stared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/busts-stared-3152456/) [Criminals Heroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals-heroes-3152458/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Financiers Styrian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/financiers-styrian-3152457/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Marble Busts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marble-busts-3068758/) ## Related quotes > [“And then I’m steered away, flicking a winner’s grin over my shoulder at my girl. 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'Many sweet stories have them', said Jaud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/a-bitter-ending-said-yarvi-many-sweet-stories-have-them-said-jaud/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) [Explore all 364 Joe Abercrombie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) ## More Fantasy quotes > [“I am awake. I know what you took. I am coming for you. Vengeance is mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-burks/i-am-awake-i-know-what-you-took-i-am-coming-for-you-vengeance-is-mine/) [Robin Burks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-burks/) > [I avoided nudity unless a film couldn't be told without those scenes. If you look at my films, few of them have that element,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-scacchi/i-avoided-nudity-unless-a-film-couldn-t-be-told-without-those-scenes/) [Greta Scacchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-scacchi/) > [We don't make glamorous movies today. Everything now is very realistic, artistic - and depressing. When is the last time you you saw a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-head/we-don-t-make-glamorous-movies-today-everything-now-is-very-realistic/) [Edith Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-head/) > [I like fantasy, but I don't live and breathe fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-schmidt-hissrich/i-like-fantasy-but-i-don-t-live-and-breathe-fantasy/) [Lauren Schmidt Hissrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-schmidt-hissrich/) > [“Metal makes everything magical. Just ask a unicorn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sybrina-durant/metal-makes-everything-magical-just-ask-a-unicorn/) [Sybrina Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sybrina-durant/) > [“(Evil people) do not believe in forgiveness. Their transgressions are either punished or not punished. That is the only result that matters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mchugh/evil-people-do-not-believe-in-forgiveness-their-transgressions-are/) [Daniel McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mchugh/) > [My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/my-first-three-manuscripts-were-epic-fantasy-like-high-fantasy-and/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) > [I'm a geek - I read fantasy novels, I play 'World of Warcraft,' I'm a massive gamer, I have 'Star Trek' outfits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kazinsky/i-m-a-geek-i-read-fantasy-novels-i-play-world-of-warcraft-i-m-a/) [Robert Kazinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kazinsky/) > [“When we let go of our battles and open our heart to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/when-we-let-go-of-our-battles-and-open-our-heart-to-things-as-they/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [“Perhaps Nesta will take up the blood-drinking habit, too. 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Von](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-von/) [Browse all 5,469 Fantasy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A set of huge marble busts stared smugly down from on high: great merchants and financiers of Styrian history, by the look of them. 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