Euripidean lyric metres : a classification

Abstract

In this thesis two branches of Euripidean lyric metres are discussed: aeolic and prosodiac-enoplian. A. M. Dale established aeolo-choriambic and prosodiac-enoplian as genera subsuming as species a number of various forms previously treated separately. She also treated both of these under the same name, aeolic. But whether each form should be grouped within these two genera, and whether both genera should be taken as aeolic, still lacked thorough examination. The first task of classification is to collect every parallel of each form. The scope is restricted to Euripidean odes, but Aeshylean and Sophoclean passages are taken into account as much as possible, especially in Part II. Part I treats glyconics and related metres. The decision as to which metre is associated with glyconics relies on basically two criteria: metrical context and similarity of forms. After a survey of the metrical construction of each ode, the general characteristics of aeolic metres, such as aeolic base, are examined with statistics. Then the manner of Euripidean usage is described metre by metre with a list of all examples. Part II is devoted to prosodiac-enoplian. Prosodiac-enoplian is associative with dochmiacs, especially in duets and a certain kind of choral odes, while aeolic (in the narrower sense) is quite alien in these odes. After the classification of predecessors is surveyed, each form which is classified in the genus 'prosodiac-enoplian' by Dale is subdivided from the point of similarity of form. Every occurrence of each form is examined in the Notes. Metrical context is given special attention. The classification adopted here is considerably different from that of Dale, in that it is argued that cola can and should be taken as meaningful units for analysis of tragic metres. The central figures of prosodiac-enoplian are … [illegible]. The second of these has been overlooked; but parallelism with the first may be observed not only in structure of these and their compounds but also in usage. They are followed by another colon to make a dicolon as well as prolonged by suffix. Unlike the work of Wilamowitz and Schroeder, this thesis refrains from historical speculation. An appendix on the 'choriambic dimeter' and an index of discussed passages is attached.