(A.) Early Usage.
2610. The IAMBIC SEPTENARIUS consists of seven and a half iambic feet.
In any of the complete feet the substitutes mentioned in 2581 are
admitted. There is usually a diaeresis after the fourth foot, which in
that case must be a pure iambus. If there is not such a diaeresis, there
is generally a caesura after the arsis of the fifth foot. The scheme of
substitution is:--
⏑͐ -́ | ⏑͐ -̇ | ⏑͐ -́ | ⏑͐ -̇ | ⏑͐ -́ | ⏑͐ -̇ | ⏑͐ -́ | ⏑͐⌅
⏑́ ⏑ | ⏑̇ ⏑ | ⏑́ ⏑ | ⏑̇ ⏑ | ⏑́ ⏑ | ⏑̇ ⏑ | ⏑́ ⏑ |
> ⏑́ ⏑ | > ⏑̇ ⏑ | > ⏑́ ⏑ | > ⏑̇ ⏑ | > ⏑́ ⏑ | > ⏑̇ ⏑ | > ⏑́ ⏑ |
⏖ -́ | ⏖ -̇ | ⏖ -́ | ⏖ -̇ | ⏖ -́ | ⏖ -̇ | ⏖ -́ |
⏖ ⏑́ ⏑ | ⏖ ⏑̇ ⏑ | ⏖ ⏑́ ⏑ | ⏖ ⏑̇ ⏑ | ⏖ ⏑́ ⏑ | ⏖ ⏑̇ ⏑ | ⏖ ⏑́ ⏑ |
2611. Examples of the Septenarius are the lines:
Spērā́|bit sūm|ptum síbi | senex ‖ levā́|t(um) ess(e) hā|runc ábi|tū:
n(ē) ill(e) haúd | scit hoc | paulúm | lucrī ‖
quant(um) ḗ|ī da|mn(ī) adpór|tet.
Tū nés|ciēs | quod scī́s, | Dromō, ‖ sī sápi|ēs. Mū|tum dī́|cēs.
(T. _Hau._ 746.)
> -́ | > -̇ | > ⏑́ ⏑ | ⏑ -̇ ‖ ⏑ -́ | > -̇ | > ⏑́ ⏑ | >⌅
> -́ | ⏑ -̇ | > -́ | ⏑ -̇ ‖ > -́ | > -̇ | > -́ | ⏑ ⌅
> -́ | ⏑ -̇ | > -́ | ⏑ -̇ ‖ > ⏑́ ⏑ | > -̇ | > -́ | >⌅
Compare in English:
“Now who be ye would cross Lochgyle, this dark and stormy water?”
(Campbell.)
2612. (1.) The Iambic Septenarius of the early comedy is not properly a
“tetrameter catalectic” like the Greek, for the penultimate syllable is
sometimes resolved, which is never the case in the Greek catalectic
tetrameter. For the same reason the ordinary anacrustic (2529) scheme of
the early Septenarius is erroneous; for a triseme cannot be resolved.
2613. (2.) When there is a diaeresis after the fourth foot, the verse is
asynartetic (see 2535).
2614. (3.) The Septenarius seems not to have been used in tragedy.
(B.) Later Usage.
2615. Varro and Catullus (25) employ a form of the Septenarius which
conforms more closely to Greek models, keeping the arses of the even
feet pure and rarely admitting resolutions. There is regularly a
diaeresis after the fourth foot. The scheme is:--
⏑͐ -́ | ⏑ -̇ | ⏑͐ -́ | ⏑ -̇ # ⏑͐ -́ | ⏑ -̇ | ⏑͐⏗́-̇
or anacrustically (2529)
⏑͐ ⁞ -́ ⏑ | -̇ ⏑͐ | -́ ⏑ | -̇ ‖ ⏑͐ | -́ ⏑ | -̇ ⏑͐ | ⏗́ | -̇ ⌃
2616. Catullus does not admit resolutions at all, save in one very
doubtful case (25, 5). Varro seems to admit them in the first foot only.
IAMBIC DIMETER ACATALECTIC (or _Quaternarius_).
2617. The IAMBIC DIMETER ACATALECTIC consists of two complete iambic
dipodies or four iambic feet. In the first three feet the tribrach,
irrational spondee, irrational dactyl and cyclic anapaest are admitted;
but the proceleusmatic is very rare, except in the first foot of the
_Versus Reizianus_ (2625), (of which a Quaternarius forms the first
colon). The scheme for substitution is:
⏑͐ -́ | ⏑͐ -̇ | ⏑͐ -́ | ⏑ -̇
⏑́ ⏑ | ⏑̇ ⏑ | ⏑́ ⏑ |
> ⏑́ ⏑ | > ⏑̇ ⏑ | > ⏑́ ⏑ |
⏖ -́ | ⏖ -̇ | ⏖ -́ |
[⏖ ⏑́ ⏑] | [⏖ ⏑̇ ⏑] | ⏖ ⏑́ ⏑] |
Examples are:
Rogitā́|re quasi | diffíci|le sit
⏖ -́ | ⏑̇ ⏑ | > ⏑́ ⏑ | ⏑ -̇ (T. _Eu._ 209).
Ast égo | vicis|sim rī́|serō
> ⏑́ ⏑ | ⏑ -̇ | > -́ | ⏑ -̇ (H. _Epod._ 15, 24).
Perū́n|xit hōc | Iā́|sonem
⏑ -́ | ⏑ -̇ | ⏑ -́ | ⏑ -̇ (H. _Epod._ 3, 12).
2618. (1.) The verse may also be regarded as a trochaic dimeter
catalectic with anacrusis (2529), with the normal scheme:
⏑ ⁞ -́ ⏑ | -̇ ⏑ | -́ ⏑ | -̇ ⌃
2619. (2.) Horace admits resolutions only four times, the tribrach once
in the second foot and the dactyl thrice in the first.
2620. (3.) Plautus (except in a few instances), Terence, and Horace
employ the dimeter only as a _clausula_ (2536) to longer verses.
Petronius, Seneca, and Prudentius use it to form _systems_ (2547); but
it is rarely so employed by earlier writers.
[Erratum:
2617 ... [⏑ ⏑́ ⏑] | [⏑ ⏑̇ ⏑] | ⏑ ⏑́ ⏑] |
line printed as shown, with mismatched bracket]
THE IAMBIC DIMETER CATALECTIC (or _Ternarius_).
2621. This is like the preceding verse, except that the last foot is
incomplete. Examples are:--
Nequ(e) íd | perspice|re quī́|vī
⏑ -́ | > ⏑̇ ⏑ | ⏑ ⏗́ -̇ (Pl. _Cap._ 784).
Date; móx | eg(o) hūc | revór|tor
⏖ -́ | ⏑ -̇ | ⏑ ⏗́ -̇ (T. _Andr._ 485).
2622. (1.) The verse may also be regarded as a syncopated catalectic
trochaic dimeter with anacrusis (2529). The normal scheme will then
be:--
⏑ ⁞ -́ ⏑ | -̇ ⏑ | ⏗́ | -̇ ⌃
2623. (2.) Plautus and Terence use this verse as a _clausula_ (2536).
Petronius is the first who employs it to form _systems_ (2547).