place after two feet and a half (M), or after three feet and a half (N), with the technical name of Cæesura. One or other of these divisions may be considered as generally necessary to the just constitution of the verse, the form M however being more frequent than the form N, nearly as four to one :
(M) Œd. R. 2. (
Greek characters) | (Greek characters)
(N) 3. (Greek characters) | (Greek characters)
The four cases of the Caesura (M), and the eight cases of the Cæsura (N), as exemplified by Porson, are given below from the Suppl. ad Prcefat. pp. xxvi, xxvii=21, 22[1]
2. The two minor divisions, which give or continue the Trochaic
movement, frequently occur after the first foot and a half (L) of the
verse, and before the last foot and a half (E,), called the final Cretic (symbol characters)
(L) ŒEd. R. 120. (Greek characters) | (Greek characters)
(R) 121. (Greek characters)
The former of these divisions (L), though not necessary, is always
agreeable. The latter (R) requiring (symbol characters) and rejecting (symbol characters) in 5th, takes
place not only in such a simple structure of words as that above given,
but under circumstances more complex, which will be explained in note
(B), ch. XVI., on the Cretic termination. This delicacy of structure was
discovered by Porson, who gave the name of pausa to it, p. xxxii=27.
Hec. 5. (A a) (Greek characters)|(Greek characters)
II. {A b) (Greek characters) | (Greek characters)
2. (A c) (Greek characters) | (Greek characters)
42. {A d) (Greek characters) | (Greek characters)
Alterius caesurae, quam voco B, plura sunt genera. Primum, cum in fine disyllabi vel hyperdisyllabi occurrit sine elisione; secundum, post elisionem ; tertium, cum brevis syllaba est enclitica vox ; quartum, cum non est enclitica, sed talis quae sententiam inchoare nequeat ; quintum, cum vox ista ad prae- cedentia quidem refertur, potest vero inchoare sententiam ; sextum, cum syllaba brevis post elisionem fit. Duo alia caesurae hujus genera ceteris minus jucunda sunt, ubi sensus post tertium pedem suspenditur, et post distinctionem sequitur vox mono- syllaba, vel sine elisione, vel per elisionem facta.
Hec. I. (B a) (Greek characters) | (Greek characters)
Hec. 248, (B b) (Greek characters) | (Greek characters)
Hec. 266. (B c) (Greek characters) | (Greek characters)
Hec. 319. {B d) (Greek characters) | (Greek characters)
Soph. EL 530. (B e) (Greek characters) | (Greek characters)
Hec. Phil. 1304. {B f) (Greek characters) | (Greek characters)
Æsch. Theb. 1055. (B g) (Greek characters) | (Greek characters)
Soph. EL 1038. (B h) (Greek characters) | (Greek characters)
- ↑ Nunc de Caesuria videamus. Senarius, ut notum est, duas prjecipuas caesuras liabet, peiithemimerim, at hephthemimerinij id est, alteram quam voco A, quae tertiuni pedem, alteram, quae quartum dividat. Prioris cagsuree quatuor sunt genera : primum est quod in brevi syllaba fit; secundum, quod in brevi post elisionem; tertium in longa, quartum in longa post elisionem.
