In Greek there is, of course, no rhyme-scheme to settle this, but the regular catalexis is felt to mark off separate units. The entire question depends upon personal fancy,[870] though the instance from the Philoctetes shows that Sophocles at any rate regarded the whole octonarius as the unit.
Subjoined is the scheme:—
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
–⏑ –⏑ –⏑ –⏑ –⏑ –⏑ –⏑ –ꞈ
⏑⏑⏑ – – ⏑⏑⏑ – – ⏑⏑⏑ – – ⏑⏑⏑
⏑⏑⏑ [–⏑⏑] ⏑⏑⏑ ⏑⏑⏑
⏑⏑– ⏑⏑– ⏑⏑–
[–⏑⏑]
§ IV. The Anapæstic Metre
Whereas iambics and trochaics were declaimed by the actors, anapæsts were used mostly by the chorus, and were chanted in recitative. They are found when the chorus move into the orchestra, or salute the entrance of a new character. Most tragedies end with a brief anapæstic system, executed by the singers as they depart.
The most usual line is a tetrapody—that is, a verse of four feet:—
⏑ ⏑ – ⏑ ⏑ – ⏑ ⏑ – ⏑ ⏑ –
τι συ προς | μελαθροις | τι συ τῃδ|ε πολεις; (Alcestis, 29).
But lines consisting of anapæsts alone are very uncommon. The spondee is often found:—
– – ⏑ ⏑ – ⏑ ⏑ – – –
ουκ ηρκ|εσε σοι | μορον Αδμ|ητου (Alcestis, 32).