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METRES OF HORACE.

626.

The Odes of Horace include nineteen varieties of stanza. These are: -

1. Alcaic, consisting of two Greater Alcaics (10), one Trochaic Dimeter with anacrusis, and one Lesser Alcaic (9)[1][The figures refer to the foregoing list (§ 625).]: -

*beginverse i=ustum et tenacem || proposit=i virum

n=on civium ardor || prava iubentium,

n=on vultus instantis tyrann=i

mente quatit solida, neque Auster. - Od. iii. 3. *endverse

(Found in Od. i. 9, 16, 17, 26, 27, 29, 31, 34, 35, 37; ii. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20; iii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 17, 21, 23, 26, 29; iv. 4, 9, 14, 15.)

NOTE: The Alcaic Strophe is named after the Greek poet Alcaeus of Lesbos, and was a special favorite with Horace, of whose Odes thirty-seven are in this form. It is sometimes called the Horatian Stanza.

2. Sapphic (minor), consisting of three Lesser Sapphics (7) and one Adonic (3): -

*beginverse iam satis terris || nivis atque dirae

grandinis m=isit || pater et rubente

dextera sacras || iaculatus arc=is

terruit urbem. - Od. i. 2. *endverse

(Found in Od. i. 2, 10, 12, 20, 22, 25, 30, 32, 38; ii. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 16; iii. 8, 11, 14, 18, 20, 22, 27; iv. 2, 6, 11; Carm. Saec.)

NOTE: The Sapphic Stanza is named after the poetess Sappho of Lesbos, and was a great favorite with the ancients. It is used by Horace in twenty-five Odes - more frequently than any other except the Alcaie.

3. Sapphic (major), consisting of one Aristophanic (2) and one Greater Sapphic (8): -

*beginverse

Lydia dic, per omnis

te deos =oro, Sybarin || cur properas amando. - Od. i. 8.

*endverse

4. Asclepiadean I (minor), consisting of Lesser Asclepiadics (5): -

*beginverse ex=egi monumentum || aere perennius

reg=alique situ || pyramidum altius. - Od. iii. 30. *endverse

(Found in Od. i. 1; iii. 30; iv. 8.)

5. Asclepiadean II, consisting of one Glyconic (1) and one Lesser Asclepiadic (5): -

*beginverse navis quae tibi creditum

deb=es Vergilium, || finibus Atticis

redd=as incolumem, precor,

et serves animae || d=imidium meae. - Od. i. 3. *endverse

(Found in Od. i. 3, 13, 19, 36; iii. 9, 15, 19, 24, 25, 28; iv. i, 3.)

6. Asclepiadean III, consisting of three Lesser Asclepiadics (5) and one Glyconic (1): -

*beginverse quis d=esiderio || sit pudor aut modus

tam c=ari capitis ? || praecipe lugubris

cant=us, Melpomene, || cui liquidam pater

vocem cum cithara dedit. - Od. i. 24. *endverse

(Found in Od. i. 6, 15, 24, 33; ii. 12; iii. 10, 16; iv. 5, 12.)

7. Asclepiadean IV, consisting of two Lesser Asclepiadics (5), one Pherecratic (4), and one Glyconic (1): -

*beginverse o f=ons Bandusiae || splendidior vitro,

dulc=i digne mero, || non sine floribus,

cras d=onaberis ha=edo

cui fr=ons turgida cornibus. - Od. iii. 13. *endverse

(Found in Od. i. 5, 14, 21, 23; iii. 7, 13; iv. 13.)

8. Asclepiadean V (major), consisting of Greater Asclepiadics (6): -

*beginverse tu n=e quaesieris, || scire nefas ! || quem mihi, quem tibi

finem di dederint, || Leuconoe, || nec Babylonios

tent=aris numeros. - Od. i. 11. *endverse

(Found in Od. i. 11, 18; iv. 10.)

9. Alcmanian, consisting of Dactylic Hexameter (§ 615) alternating with Tetrameter (§ 617. a). (Od. i. 7, 28; Epod. 12.)

1.. Archilochian I, consisting of a Dactylic Hexameter alternating with a Dactylic Penthemim (see § 617. b). (Od. iv. 7.)

1.. Archilochian IV, consisting of a Greater Archilochian (heptameter, § 622. 1), followed by Iambic Trimeter Catalectic (§ 618. d). The stanza consists of two pairs of verses: -

*beginverse solvitur acris hiems gr=ata vice || Veris et Favon=i,

trahuntque sicc=as || machinae carinas;

ac neque iam stabul=is gaudet pecus, || aut arator ign=i,

nec prata can=is || albicant pruin=is. - Od. i. 4. *endverse

1.. Iambic Trimeter alone (see § 618). (Epod. 17.)

1.. Iambic Strophe (see § 618. a). (Epod. 1 - 10.)

1.. Dactylic Hexameter alternating with Iambic Dimeter: -

*beginverse nox erat, et caelo || fulgebat luna seren=o

inter minora sidera,

cum t=u, magn=orum || n=umen laesura deorum,

in verba iur=abas mea. - Epod. 15. (So in Epod. 14.) *endverse

1.. Dactylic Hexameter with Iambic Trimeter (§ 618): -

*beginverse altera iam teritur || bell=is c=iv=ilibus aet=as,

su=is et ipsa R=oma || v=iribus ruit. - Epod. 16. *endverse

1.. Verse of Four Lesser Ionics (§ 609. c. 2): -

*beginverse miser=arum est | neque am=or=i | dare l=udum | neque dulc=i

mala v=in=o | lavere aut ex|anim=ar=i | metuent=is. - Od. iii. 12. *endverse

1.. Iambic Trimeter (§ 618); Dactylic Penthemim (§ 617. b); Iambic Dimeter: -

*beginverse Petti, nihil m=e || sicut antea iuvat

scribere versiculos || amore perculsum gravi. - Epod. 11. *endverse

1.. Dactylic Hexameter; Iambic Dimeter; Dactylic Penthemim (§ 617. b):

*beginverse horrida tempestas || caelum contraxit, et imbr=es

nivesque ded=ucunt Iovem ; || nunc mare, nunc siluae - Epod. 13. *endverse

1.. Trochaic Dimeter, Iambic Trimeter, each catalectic (see § 620. c).