περίβαλον γάρ οἱ πτεροφόρον δέμας (Agamemnon, 1147).
⏑⁝⏑⏑–⏑|–⏑‖⏑⏑–⏑|–ꞈ‖
This metre is frequent in passages of lamentation, and as these are extremely numerous the dochmiac measure is one of the most important. It is also perhaps the most difficult, because of the many varieties admitted. In all, twenty-two[889] forms are said to be found, though several of these are rare; this great number is due to resolution and irrational long syllables. Thus—
ἰὼ σκότου
νέφος ἐμὸν ἀπότροπον, ἐπιπλόμενον ἄφατον
ἀδάματόν τε καὶ δυσούριστον ὄν (Œd. Tyr., 1313).
⏑⁝⏘⏑|–ꞈ‖
⏑⁝⏑⏑⏑⏑⏑|⏑⏑⏑‖⏑⏑⏑⏑⏑|⏑⏑ꞈ‖
⏑⁝⏑⏑–⏑|–⏑‖– –⏑|–ꞈ‖.
The second line of course would by itself have no rhythm at all, being so completely broken to pieces, in order to express the extreme limit of agitation possible in articulate speech. But it gains rhythm from the clearer lines of the context. The antistrophe shows a further variety—an irrational syllable in the last line:—
ἰὼ φίλος,
σὺ μὲν ἐμὸς ἐπίπολος ἔτι μόνιμος· ἔτι γάρ