INTRODUCTION TO THE METRES OF HORACE. I. OF SEVERAL TECHNICAL TERMS. Foot. A foot is a combination of a certain number of syllables of a ain quantity. Verse. A verse is the regular series of a certain number of feet. Basis. A basis is a foot of two or three syllables preceding a verse. Stanza or Strophe.-A stanza or strophe is the succession of several es in a certain order, which order is preserved through the poem. the stanza consists of two verses, the poem is distrophon (diσrpopov); three, tristrophon (τрíστρоov); if of four, tetrastrophon (TETρáστpopov); if of one, monostrophon (μovóστpov). one kind of verse only is employed in the composition of the poem, the er is called monocōlon (μovókwλóv); if two kinds of verse, dicolon (díkw); and if three, tricōlon (тpíkwλov). . Cœsura. A cæsura (from the Latin verb cado, to cut, sever) is the inuption or intersection of a foot by the ending of a word. . Dipodia. The feet of two syllables, especially the iambuses and troes, are not numbered singly, but two by two, and two feet thus united are ed a metrum or dipodia (diodía). One dipodia or two feet are called a noměter (μovóμeтpos); two dipodia or four feet, a díměter (díμeтpos); ee dipodia or six feet, a trimeter; four dipodia or eight feet, a tetrameter. t the dactyls, choriambuses, and other feet, are numbered singly, so that of them are called a dimeter, three a trimeter, four a tetrameter, etc. . Versus catalectus or catalecticus (στίχος κατάληκτος οι καταληκτικός) verse, the last foot of which wants one or several syllables. If one syllais remaining, it is called versus catalecticus in syllabam; if two, catalecticus lissyllabum. 3. Versus brachycatalectus is an iambic or trochaic verse (which are measd by dipodia) the last foot of which is wanting.* ). Versus acatalectus is a verse which is complete. ). Versus hypercatalectus is a verse which has one syllable too much. Sometimes this verse is comprehended under the preceding name, versus catalectus. II. OF FEET. The feet, of which the verses in the various metres of Horace are constructed, are, The first syllable of an iambic dipodia, not being capable of being measured accurately, may be long, and thus a spondee may stand in the place of an iambus, or the solutions of the spondee, the anapast and dactyl. The same changes may be made in the third, fifth, and seventh places. For the second, fourth, and sixth iambus, a tribrachys alone can be substituted; so that iambic verses admit of these changes: L It is to be observed that Horace, very moderate in the use of this liberty, uses sometimes in the even places the tribrachys, and in the odd places the spondee, but seldom the anapæst or dactyl. 1. Versus iambicus dimeter acatalectus, or versus iambicus quaternarius : · Inar sit ae stuosius. Epod. 3. 18. Forti seque mur pectore. Epod. 1. 14. Vide re properantes | domum. Epod. 2. 62. 2. Versus iambicus trimeter catalectus:· 15 = Satis beatus unicis | Sabi nis. ii. 18. 14. Regum que pue ris, nec | satelles Orci. ii. 18. 34. 3. Versus iambicus trimeter acatalectus, or versus iambicus senarius; with a cæsura after the first syllable of the third foot: Parentibus que abo|mina|tus Hannibal. Epod. 16. 8. The Anǎpæst dee and Iambus. and the Tribrachys ➖➖➖ occur only as solutions of the Spon Trochaic Verses. e last syllable of a trochaic dipodia being doubtful, in the second, fourth, ixth places the spondee, anapæst, or dactyl may be substituted for the ee, and the tribrachys in any place. Versus Ithyphallicus, which is a versus trochaicus dimeter brachycatalec Veris et Favoni. i. 4. 1. verse is used once by Horace, so as to form the termination of another No. 19), and is constructed throughout in its pure and regular form. Versus trochaicus dimeter catalectus: Non ebur neque aureum. ii. 18. 1. ace does not use the spondee in the second place. Choriambic Verses. ntire verses are not formed of choriambuses, but one or several choriams are preceded or succeeded by different feet. Versus Pherecratius, which is a versus choriambicus monometer hyperlectus, with a basis, which in Horace is always a spondee: ཅ Portum. Nonne vides, ut. i. 14. 3. Versus Glyconicus, which is a versus choriambicus dimeter catalectus in hichium aut iambum, with a basis, which in Horace is always a spondee: = Reddas incolumem, precor. i. 3. 7. Versus Asclepiadeus minor, which is a versus choriambicus trimeter cattus in pyrrhichium aut iambum, with a basis, which in Horace is always -ondee, and a cæsura after the first choriambus: Maecenas atavis || edite regibus. i. 1.1. [orace neglects the cæsura in two instances. One occurs in this book :Non incendia Carthaginis impiæ. iv. 8. 17. In one scherlich very properly questions the genuineness of this verse. ance the first choriambus is changed into a pæon primus (— ~ ~ ~) :— Quam si, quidquid arat | impiger Apulus. iii. 16. 26. · Versus Asclepiadeus major, which is a versus choriambicus tetrameter catetus in pyrrhichium aut iambum, with a basis, which in Horace is always pondee, and two cæsuras, after the first and second choriambus: 、, Quis post vina gravem || militiam aut || pauperiem crepat? i. 18. 5. In one instance the second cæsura is neglected: Arcanique Fides || prodiga, per|lucidior | vitro. i. 18. 16. 10. Versus Aristophanicus, which is a versus choriambicus dimeter catalectus in amphibrachyn aut bacchium : 11. Versus Sapphicus minor, which is the preceding verse preceded by a trochaic dipodia (— — — —) or Epitritus secundus, with a cæsura after the first syllable of the choriambus: = Fluminum lapsus || celeres que ventos. i. 12. 10. Several times the last word is divided, a part of it belonging to the following line: i. 2. 19; ii. 16. 7. 12. Versus Sapphicus major, which has one more choriambus than the preceding verse, with a second cæsura after the first choriambus: — Oderit cam pum, || patiens || pulveris atque solis? i. 8. 4. d. Dactylic Verses. 13. Versus Adonicus,* which is a versus dactylicus dimeter catalectus : — 14. Versus Archilochius minor, which is a versus dactylicus dimeter hypercatalectus, or trimeter catalectus in syllabam : པ་ = Flumina praetere unt. iv. 7. 4. 15. Versus dactylicus tetrameter catalectus, or versus tetrameter heroicus. A spondee may be used instead of a dactyl in the first and second places, seldom in the third; a cæsura occurs after the first syllable of the second or third foot: ཅ Carmine perpetu|o || celebrare et. i. 7. 6. Menso rem || cohibent, Ar chyta. i. 28. 2. 16. Versus Alcmanius (see No. 19), which is a versus dactylicus tetrameter acatalectus, with a cæsura after the first syllable of the third foot; spondees are used in the first three feet: Nunc decet aut virildi || niti dum caput. i. 4. 9. 17. Versus hexameter heroicus, which is a versus dactylicus hexameter catalectus, with a principal cæsura after the first syllable of the third foot (πενθημιμερής), or after the first syllable of the fourth foot (έφθημιμερής), and frequently one or more subordinate cæsuras; instead of the dactyl, the spondee may be used in all places except the fifth; in a few instances a *This verse may also be considered as a versus choriambicus monometer hypercatalectus: = Templaque Ves/tæ. |