CHAPTER III.

RHYTHMS, WHOSE GROUND FOOT IS FIVE-TIMED. THE ONE AND A HALF OR PAEONIC KIND.

A. Falling, Cretic Rhythms.

(a) Cretics with rational thesis.

The cretic consists of five times, which are proportioned to each other, as 3:2. The subordinate relation of the arsis is the trochaic, 2:1; that of the thesis, dactylic, 1:1; hence the foot takes the following forms:

Creticus, - Paeon primus. ch. 5. p. 21).

The cretic is the appropriate measure of Paeans; it is besides sometimes employed in tragedy, especially by Aeschylus, and particularly in poems in the Phrygian mood, of a wild, enthusiastic character. The cretic rhythm is, however, chiefly used in comedy, especially in the resolved forms.

As the foot has a masculine ending, it is more inclined to the diaeresis than to the caesura (P. I. ch. 11. p. 40). The acatalexis is common. The catalexis is merely in disyllabum

1

for that in syllabam is transformed into the trochaic

dipody, which is frequently appended as a sort of close to cretic rhythms. This trochaic closing rhythm is also frequently lengthened:

If the cretic is resolved, sometimes one, sometimes the other form predominates:

An anacrusis or basis, trochaic as well as iambic, may be prefixed to the cretic rhythms. The iambic basis is the

more frequent.

The Romans used the middle time in the thesis of the cretic; but they liked to conceal the long in this place by the pronunciation, and never permitted its resolution. Hence the choriamb cannot stand for the cretic.

The most common measures are the following:

(1) The Monopody or the Monometer.-Monometer creticus.

w w

It occurs sometimes singly, as Soph. Elec. 507.

Τάδε γα,

and so also sometimes in the systems among dimeters.

It is very frequently combined with other rhythms, and then stands either at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end, as Pind. Olymp. II. Epod. 3.

Χρόνος ὁ πάντων πατὴρ δύναιτο θέμεν ἔργων τέλος. Pind. Olymp. V. 3.

Ακαμαντόποδός τ' ἀπήνας δέκευ Ψαύμιός τε δώρα. Aeschyl. Choeph. 605.

With the trochaic basis, the cretic resembles either the trochaic catalectic tripody, - -, or the dochmius, - --~Sometimes the basis is found with the anacrusis prefixed (an apparent dochmius with the anacrusis), as Soph. Elec. 171.

X ·

Αεὶ μὲν γὰρ ποθεῖ.

With the iambic basis prefixed, the cretic gives the dochmius

The composition of the dochmius is indeed arrhythmic, on account of the coincidence of the arses, but the parts themselves are rhythmical. We speak here only of the pure dochmius, as it is given in the above scheme, in which the iamb never appears as a spondee, and the thesis of the cretic never takes the middle time. Thus Pindar used it with kindred rhythms, or by itself; he never repeats it. He has by preference only the following forms:

Απολλώνιον ἄθυρμα. τῷ σε μὴ λαθέτω.

The dramatists use the dochmius with irrational theses, which will be considered hereafter.

(2) The Dipody or the Dimeter.-Dimeter creticus.

The acatalectic dimeter is the principal element of cretic systems. But it also occurs singly, and in combination with other rhythms, as Arist. Pac. 1127.

Νικάσαις ἀνέθηκε, καὶ ὃν πατέρ' "Ακρων ἐκάρυξε καὶ τὰν νέοικον ἕδραν.

The Latin comic writers sometimes use a dimeter among tetrameters, as Plaut. Capt. II. 1, 17.

Unum exoráre vos sinite nos:

Ut sine his árbitris

Atque a vobís nos detis loquendí locum.

Trochaic closes are frequently appended to the dimeter:

Plaut. Most. III. 2. 1.

Mélius anno hóc mihi nón fuit domi.

Aeschyl. Agam. 224.

Πρωτοπήμων. ἔτλα δ ̓ οὖν θυτὴρ γενέσθαι θυγατρὸς γυ

ναικοποίνων πολέμων ἀρωγάν.

and therefore resembles a monometer iambicus with a cretic, as Aesch. Choeph. 436, 437.

Ἕκατι μὲν δαιμόνων,

Ἕκατι δ ̓ ἡμᾶν χερῶν.

Arist. Pac. 1128 sqq.

Κράνους ἀπηλλαγμένος

Τυροῦ τε καὶ κρομμύων.

Οὐ γὰρ φιληδῶ μάχαις.

With the iambic basis it is like the dochmius with a following cretic :

ν

as Aesch. Agam. 1081.

Αγυιᾶτ' ἀπόλλων ἐμός.

The catalectic dimeter is more unusual, as Pind. Pyth. ΙΧ. 2.

It is sometimes also found with the anacrusis, as Soph. Elec. 504 sqq.

Ὦ Πέλοπος ἡ πρόσθεν

Πολύπονος ἱππεία,

Ὡς ἔμολες αἰανὴ
Τάδε γα

Εἶτε γὰρ ὁ ποντισθεὶς
Μυρτίλος ἐκοιμάθη·

Arist. Lys. 787.

Κἂν τοῖς ὄρεσιν ᾤκει.