HERMES And who are you over here, with the purple robe and diadem, you who are so solemn? LAMPICHUS Lampichus, tyrant of Gela. HERMES Well why, Lampichus, do you bring all that with you? LAMPICHUS Well, what should I do? Ought a tyrant to come naked, Hermes? HERMES A tyrant shouldn’t, but a dead man most certainly should. So off with it all. LAMPICHUS There you are; there goes my wealth. HERMES Away too with your vanity, Lampichus, and your pride; they will weigh down the ferry, if they come in along with you. LAMPICHUS Then at least allow me to keep my diadem and my mantle. HERMES Certainly not; away with these too. LAMPICHUS Very well. What else? I’ve thrown away everything, as you can see. HERMES There remain your cruelty, folly, insolence, and temper; away with these too. LAMPICHUS There you are; I’m stripped. HERMES Now you may get in. You, the fat and fleshy one, who are you? DAMASIAS Damasias, the athlete. HERMES Yes, you look like him. I know you, having often seen you in the ring. DAMASIAS Yes, Hermes; but let me in; I’m stripped to the skin. HERMES No, you’re not, my good fellow, not while you have all that flesh on you. Well, take it off, for you’ll sink the boat, if you only put one foot aboard. Off too with those wreaths and proclamations of your prowess. DAMASIAS There you are; I’m really stripped now, as you see, and no heavier than the other dead. HERMES It’s better that you should be light like that; get in then. You too, Craton, off with your wealth and your effeminacy too, and your luxury, and don’t bring your funeral trappings or your ancestors’ reputations, but leave behind family, fame, all public proclamations in your honour, and the inscriptions on your statues, and say nothing of the mighty tomb they raised over your body. Even the mention of such things weighs down the boat. CRATON I don’t like it, but away they go. What choice have I? HERMES Good gracious! You there—what do you want with all that armour? Why do you carry that trophy? GENERAL Because I was victorious, won the prize for valour, and was honoured by my city. HERMES Leave your trophy on earth above; there’s peace in Hades and weapons won’t be needed.