Dactyls also are frequent:—
– – ⏑ ⏑ – – ⏑ ⏑ – –
σφηλαντ|ι τεχνῃ | νυν δ επι | τῃδ αυ (Ibid., 34).
No other foot is admitted, but each of these three may occur at any place in the line.
Besides the tetrapody, we find now and then a dipody, or verse of two feet.
Anapæstic systems are invariably closed by a catalectic verse:—
– – ⏑ ⏑ – ⏑ ⏑– –
αυτη | προθανειν | Πελιου | παιςꞈ̄ (Ibid., 37).
In systems of considerable length such lines occur at intervals. They are called “parœmiacs”.[871]
§ V. Lyrics
The metres of Greek songs form a difficult and complicated study. So long as we do not know the music composed for them, the scansion of lyrics must remain a more difficult and doubtful question than that of the iambics, episodic trochaics, and anapæsts.
The best preparation for their study is the habit of reading iambics and trochaics with correct quantities and natural emphasis. Let us, so prepared, address ourselves to the following passage[872] from the Agamemnon (975 sqq.):—