Chapter 13

§ II. The Iambic Metre

Practically all the dialogue and speeches are written in this metre. The student would do well to grow thoroughly accustomed to reading these aloud with correct quantities before he attempts the others.

The iambic line consists of six feet, any one of which may be an iambus. But a “pure” iambic line, one in which every foot is an iambus, as in Andromache, v. 241 (see above), is very rare. A speech written solely in such feet would be highly monotonous and far too rapid. Other feet are therefore allowed, under restrictions, to take the place of the iambus.

By far the commonest of these is the spondee, which consists of two long syllables (λο̄γχη̄, πᾱντω̄ν). This can occur in the first, third, or fifth places—one, two, or all three. Thus:—

Next, the lightness and variety is often greatly increased by the use of “resolved” (or broken-up) feet. Each long syllable being regarded as equal to two “shorts,” it follows that the iambus can be “resolved” into ⏑⏑⏑, the spondee into –⏑⏑, ⏑⏑– (and ⏑⏑⏑⏑, but this last is not employed in iambics).

Of these three the tribrach (⏑⏑⏑) is much the most frequent. As it corresponds to the iambus, it can occur in any place, save the sixth; it is exceedingly rare in the fifth place:—

The dactyl (–⏑⏑) is allowed in those places to which the spondee is admitted, save the fifth (just as the tribrach is excluded from the sixth). Thus:—

It is rare in the first foot.

Least common of all is the anapæst (⏑⏑–), which appears only in the first foot, unless it is contained entirely in a proper name, when it can occur in any place save the sixth. This license is due to necessity: such a name as Ἀντῐγόνη could not otherwise be introduced into iambics at all. Examples:—

Occasionally a line is to be found with two or even three resolved feet:—

Two licenses should be noted. The last syllable of the line may be short; no doubt the pause at the end was felt to help it out. Lines of this kind are innumerable, e.g.:—

⏑⏑
Κρατος Βια τε σφῳν μεν εντολη | Διος (Prom. Vinctus, 12)

(which is followed by a vowel—ἔχει). It matters little whether such syllables are marked as short, as long, or with the sign of doubtful quantity ( ᷋). Next, synizesis (συνίζησις, “collapse”) occurs now and then—two syllables coalesce and are scanned as one, e.g. μ̅η̅ ̅ο̅υ̅, πολε̅ω̅ς:—

(Synizesis is specially common in the various cases of θεός and θεά.)

Finally, two important rules of rhythm remain to be stated.

First, there must be a “cæsura” in either the third or the fourth foot. A cæsura is a gap between words in the middle of a foot. Either the third foot, then, or the fourth must consist partly of one word, partly of another. It is indicated in scansion by the sign ‖. Many verses have this necessary cæsura in the third foot only, e.g.:—

Many show it in the fourth only:—

A still larger number have cæsura in both places:—

This usage is essential to rhythm. It is of course possible for every foot in the line to exhibit a cæsura, but one in the midst is necessary to prevent the line from falling into pieces. That coextension of word and foot which is naturally frequent must at one point be emphatically excluded, so that the whole line may be felt as a single rhythmical whole. Such “lines” as

– – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ – – – ⏑ ⏑
ταυτην αναξ λεγει καλην ειναι πολιν,

⏑ – ⏑– – – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ ⏑
Οδυσσεως δουλοι μαχουμενοι ταχα,

are utterly impossible. The first falls into six scraps, and the second into two mere lumps, of equal length. If a breach of the rule ever occurs, it is for a special reason. When Sophocles (Œd. Tyr., 738) writes

ὦ Ζεῦ, τί μου δρᾶσαι βεβούλευσαι πέρι;

the dragging rhythm well represents the dawning dread of Œdipus. But the main cæsura may be dispensed with if the third foot ends with an elision, apparently because, if the word could be written in full, the fourth foot would be divided between two words. Thus:—

χαῖρ’· οὐ γὰρ ἐχθαίρω σ’· ἀπώλεσας δ’ ἐμέ (Alcestis, 179).

ζητοῦσι τὸν τεκόντ’· ἐγὼ δὲ διαφέρω (Heracles, 76).

The other rule is that generally called “the rule of the Final Cretic”. It is most simply stated thus: if there is a cæsura in the fifth foot, that foot must be an iambus, e.g.:—

⏑ – ⏑ –
μη με̄ στυγησῃς· ουχ εκων | γαρ ‖ αγγ|ελω (Troades, 710).

⏑ – ⏑ –
τον τουδε νεκρον ουκ αθαπτ|ον ‖ αν | λιποις (Ibid., 738).

This rule does not exclude from the first half of the foot long monosyllables which are in meaning and syntax closely connected with the “cretic” word or words. Thus τῶν σωμάτων is a quite correct ending, but not τούτων σωμάτων.

Subjoined is a scheme of the iambic verse as written by the tragedians. The writers of comedy allowed themselves licenses with which we are not here concerned. Euripides is much fonder of resolved feet than Æschylus or Sophocles.

1 2 3 4 5 6
⏑– ⏑– ⏑‖– ⏑‖– ⏑– ⏑–
⏑⏑⏑ ⏑⏑⏑ ⏑‖⏑⏑ ⏑‖⏑⏑ ⏑⏑⏑ ⏑⏑
– – [⏑⏑–] –‖– [⏑⏑–] – –
–⏑⏑ –‖⏑⏑ [⏑⏑–]
⏑⏑– [⏑⏑–]