2545. THE STROPHE. A fixed number of verses recurring in a regular order
is called a _Strophe_. A strophe commonly contains verses of different
kinds, but some strophes are composed of verses which are all alike. The
most common strophes in Latin poetry are either _distichs_ (i.e. groups
of two lines each), _tristichs_ (of three lines each), or _tetrastichs_
(of four).
Strophes and verses are frequently named after some poet who made use of
them. So the Alcaic strophe (named after Alcaeus), the Sapphic strophe
(named after Sappho), the Glyconic verse (named after Glycon), the
Asclepiadean (after Asclepiades), the Phalaecean (after Phalaecus), the
Pherecratean (after Pherecrates), &c.
2546. A _Stichic Series_ is a series of verses of the same kind not
combined into strophes.
2547. THE SYSTEM. A group of rhythmical series (see 2532) which is of
greater extent than a verse is called a _System_. Long systems, such as
are common in Greek poetry, are comparatively rare in Latin verse.
Few verses have more than two rhythmical series; none more than three.
2548. Although in all probability the Latin accent was mainly one of
stress rather than of pitch, it seems to have been comparatively weak.
Hence, when it conflicted with the metrical ictus, it could be the more
easily disregarded. But accentual or semi-accentual poetry seems to have
existed among the common people even in the Augustan age, and even in
classical Latin verse in certain cases (as in the last part of the
dactylic hexameter) conflict between ictus and accent was carefully
avoided. After the third century A.D. the accent exerted a stronger and
stronger influence upon versification, until in the Middle Ages the
quantitative Latin verse was quite supplanted by the accentual.