[2582.] The Greek poets excluded all feet except the iambus and tribrach, and in comedy the anapaest, from the even places in iambic verse. The Latin poets were not so strict: but when one of the even feet was formed by a word or a word-ending, they did not usually allow the foot to be a spondee or an anapaest, but required it to be an iambus.

[The Iambic Trimeter Or Senarius.]

[2583.] The Iambic Trimeter is the verse most frequently used by the Roman dramatists. It consists of six iambic feet, or three iambic dipodies. The ictus on the second thesis of each dipody was probably weaker than that upon the first thesis. Some ancient authorities, however, held that the ictus on the second thesis was the stronger. The last foot is always an iambus. The normal scheme is therefore:

⏑ –́ | ⏑ –̇ | ⏑ –́ | ⏑ –̇ | ⏑ –́ | ⏑ –̇

Some prefer (see [2529]) to regard this verse as a trochaic trimeter catalectic with anacrusis. The normal scheme will then be:

⏑ ⁝ –́ ⏑ | –̇ ⏑ | –́ ⏑ | –̇ ⏑ | –́ ⏑ | –̇ ⌃

[2584.] The Latin poets differ widely in their treatment of the Senarius, some (especially Plautus, Terence, and the other early dramatists) handling it with great freedom, while others (especially Phaedrus and Publilius Syrus) conform more closely to Greek models. We may therefore distinguish two periods:

(A.) Early Period.

[2585.] Any one of the substitutions enumerated in 2581 is admitted in any foot except the last. The scheme is therefore:

⏑͐ –́⏑͐ –̇⏑͐ –́⏑͐ –̇⏑͐ –́⏑ –̇
⏑ ⏑́ ⏑⏑ ⏑̇ ⏑⏑ ⏑́ ⏑⏑ ⏑̇ ⏑⏑ ⏑́ ⏑
> ⏑́ ⏑> ⏑̇ ⏑> ⏑́ ⏑> ⏑̇ ⏑[> ⏑́ ⏑]
⏑ ⏑ –́⏑ ⏑ –̇⏑ ⏑ –́⏑ ⏑ –̇⏑ ⏑ –́
⏑ ⏑ ⏑́ ⏑⏑ ⏑ ⏑̇ ⏑⏑ ⏑ ⏑́ ⏑⏑ ⏑ ⏑̇ ⏑⏑ ⏑ ⏑́ ⏑