ἐπεὶ σχολὴ πάρεστι, παῖ Μενοιτίου.
τοῦ δ’ ἑτέρου
θυμέ, θύμ’ ἀμηχάνοισι κήδεσιν κυκώμενε.
δισυλλάβων μὲν δὴ μορίων λέξεως διαφοραί τε καὶ ῥυθμοὶ
καὶ σχήματα τοσαῦτα· τρισυλλάβων δ’ ἕτερα πλείω τῶν 15
εἰρημένων καὶ ποικιλωτέραν ἔχοντα θεωρίαν. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐξ
ἁπασῶν βραχείων συνεστώς, καλούμενος δὲ ὑπό τινων χορεῖος
[τρίβραχυς πούς], οὗ παράδειγμα τοιόνδε
Βρόμιε, δορατοφόρ’, ἐνυάλιε, πολεμοκέλαδε,
ταπεινός τε καὶ ἄσεμνός ἐστι καὶ ἀγεννής, καὶ οὐδὲν ἂν ἐξ 20
That which has both its syllables long is called a spondee, and possesses great dignity and much stateliness. Here is an example of it:—
Ah, which way must I haste?—had I best flee
By this path? or by that path shall it be?[150]
That which is composed of a short and a long is called iambus if it has the first syllable short; it is not ignoble. If it begins with the long syllable, it is called a trochee, and is less manly than the other and more ignoble. The following is an example of the former:—