míhī́ dómṓ | fámiliaéque nóstraé, &c.
[THE SATURNIAN.]
[2550.] The Saturnian is the best known and most important of the old Italian rhythms; but its nature long has been, and still is, matter of high dispute. There are two principal theories as to its character, the quantitative and the accentual, each of which is advocated by many distinguished scholars.
[2551.] (1.) The Quantitative Theory. According to this theory, the Saturnian is a verse of six feet, with an anacrusis ([2529]). There is a break after the fourth arsis, or more rarely after the third thesis. Each thesis may be either a long syllable or two shorts; each arsis may be a short syllable, a long, or two shorts, but an arsis is not resolved before the principal break or at the end of the verse. Hiatus is common, especially at the principal break in the verse. A short final syllable may be lengthened by the influence of the verse-ictus. An arsis is frequently suppressed, especially the penultimate arsis. Two arses are never suppressed in the same half-verse, and rarely two in the same verse. Examples of the Saturnian, measured quantitatively, are:
Dabúnt malúm Metéllī # Naéviṓ poḗtae.
Novém Iovís concórdēs # fī́liaé sorṓrēs. (Naevius.)
Virúm mihī́, Camḗna, # ī́nsecḗ versū́tum. (Livius Andronicus.)
E͡ōrúm sectám sequóntur # múltī mórtā́lēs.
(Naevius.)
Compare in English: “The queén was ín the párlour, éating bréad and hóney.”