2601. The IAMBIC TRIMETER CATALECTIC occurs in Horace (1, 4 and 2, 18).
The caesura is regularly penthemimeral (2544). Resolutions are not
admitted, except in one doubtful case, #rēgumque puerīs# (2, 18, 34),
where #pu͡erīs# may be read (with synizesis: see 2499). The scheme is:
⏑͐ -́ | ⏑ -̇ | ⏑͐ ‖ -́ | ⏑ -̇ | ⏑ ⏗́ -̇
[⏑̇ ⏑] |
Examples are:
Meā́ | renī|det ‖ ín | domō | lacū́|nar. (H. 2, 18, 2.)
⏑ -́ | ⏑ -̇ | ⏑ ‖ -́ | ⏑ -̇ | ⏑ ⏗́ -̇
Seu pó|scit a|gnā sī́|ve mā|lit haé|dō. (H. 1, 4, 12.)
> -́ | ⏑ -̇ | > ‖ -́ | ⏑ -̇ | ⏑ ⏗́ -̇
2602. (1.) The anacrustic scheme is:
⏑͐ ⁞ -́ ⏑ | -̇ ⏑͐ # -́ ⏑ | -̇ ⏑ | ⏗́-̇ ⌃,
i.e. trochaic trimeter catalectic with anacrusis (2529), syncope (2541),
and protraction (2516).
2603. (2.) Horace seems to have changed his practice with reference to
the first foot. In 1, 4 the first foot is a spondee in nine lines out of
ten; in 2, 18, it is a spondee in only two lines out of twenty.
THE IAMBIC TETRAMETER ACATALECTIC (or _Octonarius_).
2604. This verse consists of four iambic dipodies, or eight complete
iambic feet. The substitutions enumerated in 2581 are admitted in the
first seven feet; but the last foot is always an iambus. The principal
break in the line is usually a diaeresis after the fourth foot (which in
that case must be a pure iambus), or a caesura after the arsis of the
fifth. The full scheme is:
⏑͐ -́ | ⏑͐ -̇ | ⏑͐ -́ | ⏑͐ -̇ | ⏑͐ -́ | ⏑͐ -̇ | ⏑͐ -́ | ⏑ -̇
⏑́ ⏑ | ⏑̇ ⏑ | ⏑́ ⏑ | ⏑̇ ⏑ | ⏑́ ⏑ | ⏑̇ ⏑ | ⏑́ ⏑ |
> ⏑́ ⏑ | > ⏑̇ ⏑ | > ⏑́ ⏑ | > ⏑̇ ⏑ | > ⏑́ ⏑ | > ⏑̇ ⏑ | > ⏑́ ⏑ |
⏖ -́ | ⏖ -̇ | ⏖ -́ | ⏖ -̇ | ⏖ -́ | ⏖ -̇ | ⏖ -́ |
⏖ ⏑́ ⏑ | ⏖ ⏑̇ ⏑ | ⏖ ⏑́ ⏑ | ⏖ ⏑̇ ⏑ | ⏖ ⏑́ ⏑ | ⏖ ⏑̇ ⏑ | ⏖ ⏑́ ⏑ |
2605. The following lines are examples of this metre:
Enĭm vḗ|rō, Dā|ve, nī́l | locīst # sēgníti|ae neque | sōcór|diae,
quant(um) ín|tellē|xī módo | senis # sentén|tiam | dē nū́|ptiīs:
quae sī́|nōn a|stū prṓ|viden|tur ‖ m(ē)aút|erum | pessúm | dabunt.
(T. _Andr._ 206.)
⏖ -́ | > -̇ | ⏑ -́ | ⏑ -̇ # > ⏑́ ⏑ | > ⏑̇ ⏑ | > -́ | ⏑ -̇
> -́ | > -̇ | > ⏑́ ⏑ | ⏑ -̇ # > -́ | ⏑ -̇ | > -́ | ⏑ -̇
> -́ | > -̇ | > -́ | ⏑ -̇ | > ‖ -́ | ⏑ -̇ | > -́ | ⏑ -̇
2606. Compare in English:
He smote the rock, and forth a tide of crystal waters streamed amain;
Up sprang the flowrets from the ground, and Nature smiled o’er all
the plain.
2607. (1.) The iambic octonarius is chiefly a comic verse. Terence has
about eight hundred lines in this measure, Plautus only about three
hundred, Varro a few.
2608. (2.) Substitutions are much less common than in the senarius,
especially in the even feet.
2609. (3.) When there is a diaeresis after the fourth foot, so that the
line is divided into two equal halves, the verse is _asynartetic_
(2535). There seems, however, to be no certain instance of hiatus in the
diaeresis in the Terentian plays.
[Erratum:
2605 ... Enĭm vḗ|rō, Dā|ve, nī́l | locīst
Enĭm vḗ|rō, Dā|ve, nī́l|locīst]