is shorter than the perfect long. Not being able to say by how much, they call it “irrational.” There is another foot having a rhythm corresponding to this, which starts with the short syllables and ends with the “irrational” one. This they distinguish from the anapaest and call it “cyclic,” adducing the following line as an example of it:—
On the earth is the high-gated city laid low.[158]
This question cannot be discussed here; but both rhythms are of the distinctly beautiful sort. One class of trisyllabic rhythms still remains, which is composed of two longs and a short. It takes three shapes. When the short is in the middle and the longs at the ends, it is called a cretic and has no lack of nobility. A sample of it is:—
On they sped, borne on sea-wains with prows brazen-beaked.[159]
But if the two long syllables occupy the beginning, and the short one the end, as in the line
Phoebus, to thee and the Muses worshipped with thee,[160]
the structure is exceptionally virile, and is appropriate for solemn language. The effect will be the same if the short be placed before the longs; for this foot also has dignity and grandeur. Here is an example of it:—
To what shore, to what grove shall I flee for refuge?[161]
To the former of these two feet the name of bacchius is assigned by the metrists, to the other that of hypobacchius. These are the twelve fundamental rhythms and feet which measure all
1 ὅσω F: πόσω PMV 2 ἕτερός ἐστιν F: ἕτερον δὲ PMV || ἔχων F: τινα PMV 3 ἐπὶ τὴν ἄλογον FP1V: ἐπί τιν’ ἄλογον P2: ἐπί τινα λόγον M || τελευτᾶι τοῦτον FM: τοῦτον τελευτᾷ V: τελευτᾶι P 4 κυκλικὸν FM2: κύκλον PM1V 6 ὑψί*πολος cum rasura F: ὑψίπυλον PMV 8 τρισύλλαβον F 9 συνέστηκεν F: συνέστηκε μὲν PMV || δὲ ποιεῖ F: δὲ ἔχει PV 12 τοιοῦτον PM: τοιόνδε FV 13 πρώταις FM2 || ἀπήναισι EP: ἀπήνεσι MV: ἀπήνεσσι F || χαλκεμβόλοις EF: χαλκεμβόλοισιν PMV 14 ἂν F: ἐὰν PMV 15 ἡ F: om. PMV 16 σοὶ EPMV: σὺ F || σύμβωμοι EFMV: συμβῶμεν Ps 17 πάνυ ἐστὶ τὸ EF: δὲ πάνυ τοῦτο PMV || εἰσ σεμνότητα (σ pr. suprascripto) λογίαν P 18 πρώτη τεθῆι P, MV: συντεθῆι F 21 τίν’ ἀκτάν, τίν’ ὕλαν] τίνα γᾶν τινυδἂν F 22 τοῖς ποσὶν FPM: ῥυθμοῖς V 23 παλιμβάκχειος E