Adapted from Peace
by Aristophanes

CHARACTERS
HERMES, the caretaker of the heavens
TRYGAEUS, a man of Athens

SCENE: The heavens are presented.

HERMES: Meseems I can sniff a man. (He perceives TRYGAEUS astride his beetle.) Why, what plague is this?
TRYGAEUS: A horse-beetle.
HERMES: Oh, shameless rascal! Oh, scoundrel! Triple scoundrel! The greatest scoundrel in the world! How did you come here? Oh! Scoundrel of all scoundrels! Your name? Reply.
TRYGAEUS: Triple scoundrel.
HERMES: Your country?
TRYGAEUS: Triple scoundrel.
HERMES: Your father?
TRYGAEUS: My father? Triple scoundrel.
HERMES: By the Earth, you shall tell me your name.
TRYGAEUS: I am Trygaeus of the Athmonian deme, a good vine-dresser, little addicted to quarreling and not at all an informer.
HERMES: Why did you come?
TRYGAEUS: I come to bring you this meat.
HERMES: Ah, my good friend! Did you have a good journey?
TRYGAEUS: Glutton, be off! I no longer seem a triple scoundrel to you. Come, call Zeus.
HERMES: Ah! Ah! You are a long way yet from reaching the gods, for they moved yesterday.
TRYGAEUS: To what part of the earth?
HERMES: Eh! Of the earth, did you say?
TRYGAEUS: In short, where are they then?
HERMES: Very far, very far—right at the furthest end of the dome of the heavens.
TRYGAEUS: But why have they left you all alone here?
HERMES: I am watching what remains of the furniture, the little pots and pans, the bits of chairs and tables, and odd jars.
TRYGAEUS: And why have the gods moved away?
HERMES: Because of their wrath against the Greeks. They have located War in the house they occupied themselves and have given him full power to do with you exactly as he pleases; then they went as high up as ever they could, so as to see no more of your fights and to hear no more of your prayers.
TRYGAEUS: What reason have they for treating us so?
HERMES: Because they have afforded you an opportunity for peace more than once, but you have always preferred war. If the Laconians got the very slightest advantage, they would exclaim, "By the Twin Brethren! The Athenians shall suffer for this." If, on the contrary, the latter triumphed and the Laconians came with peace proposals, you would say, "By Demeter, they want to deceive us. No, by Zeus, we will not hear a word; they will always be coming as long as we hold Pylos."

The Trygaeus repeats the phrase "triple scoundrel" to

A.

confront Hermes about his rudeness.

B.

mock Hermes for his hasty opinion of him.

C.

make Hermes lose his limited power.