O glorious saviours, Zeus’ and Leda’s sons.[154]
That which consists of a long and two shorts, with the long in the middle, bears the name of amphibrachys, and has no strong claim to rank with the graceful rhythms, but is enervated and has about it much that is feminine and ignoble, e.g.—
Triumphant Iacchus that leadest this chorus.[155]
That which commences with two shorts is called an anapaest, and possesses much dignity. Where it is necessary to invest a subject with grandeur or pathos, this foot may be appropriately used. Its form may be illustrated by—
Ah, the coif on mine head all too heavily weighs.[156]
That which begins with the long and ends with the shorts is called a dactyl; it is decidedly impressive, and remarkable for its power to produce beauty of style. It is to this that the heroic line is mainly indebted for its grace. Here is an example:—
Sped me from Ilium the breeze, and anigh the Ciconians brought me.[157]
The rhythmists, however, say that the long syllable in this foot
3 διαβεβηκῶς (ῶ suprascripto) P: διαβέβηκεν ὡς M1: διαβεβηκὼς ὡς M2V: διαβέβηκεν F || τοιόνδε F: τόδε PMV 5 δυεῖν P: δυοῖν MV: β F 6 μακρὰν F: μακρὰν ἑκατέρας τῶν βραχειῶν PMV || εὐσχήμων EF: εὐσχημόνων PMV 7 διακεκόλασται F: κέκλασται E 8 ἀγεννες P, M: ἀγενὲς V: ἀηδὲς F 9 θρίαμβε L. Dindorfius: διθύραμβε libri 11 μέγεθός τι F: μέγεθος PV: μεγέθη M || περιτιθέναι F: περιθεῖναι PMV 12 περιλαμβάνεσθαι F 14 κεφαλᾶς E: κεφαλὰς F: κεφαλῆς PMV || ἔχειν P: ἔχει EFMV 16 δάκτυλος EFM: δακτ̑ P: δακτυλικὸς V || τὸ κάλλος τῆς ἑρμηνείας EF: κάλλος ἁρμονίας PMV 17 ὑπὸ R
2. ἀξιωματικός: various modern examples of the rhythmical effect of long and short syllables will be found in Demetr., e.g. p. 219. Here may be added, from George Meredith’s Love in the Valley—