ἰὼ σκότου
νέφος ἐμὸν ἀπότροπον, ἐπιπλόμενον ἄφατον
ἀδάματόν τε καὶ δυσούριστον ὄν (Œd. Tyr., 1313).
⏑⁝⏘⏑|–ꞈ‖
⏑⁝⏑⏑⏑⏑⏑|⏑⏑⏑‖⏑⏑⏑⏑⏑|⏑⏑ꞈ‖
⏑⁝⏑⏑–⏑|–⏑‖– –⏑|–ꞈ‖.

The second line of course would by itself have no rhythm at all, being so completely broken to pieces, in order to express the extreme limit of agitation possible in articulate speech. But it gains rhythm from the clearer lines of the context. The antistrophe shows a further variety—an irrational syllable in the last line:—

ἰὼ φίλος,
σὺ μὲν ἐμὸς ἐπίπολος ἔτι μόνιμος· ἔτι γάρ
ὑπομένεις με τὸν τυφλὸν κηδεύων.

(κηδευ͐ων). Evidently it is important to accustom one’s ear thoroughly to the basic form ⏑– –⏑– and to ⏑⏑⏑–⏑–. Another instance may be of use:—

ἆρα πύλαι κλῄθροις χαλκόδετ’ ἔμβολά τε
λαϊνέοισιν Ἀμφίονος ὀργάνοις
τείχεος ἥρμοσται; (Phœnissæ, 114 sqq.).
˃⁝⏑⏑–˃|–˃‖⏑⏑–⏑|⏑⏑ꞈ‖
⏑⁝⏑⏑–⏑|–˃‖⏑⏑–⏑|–ꞈ‖
˅⁝⏑⏑–˃|–ꞈ‖.

The last division of our subject is the different types of period, the various ways in which cola are combined and correspond. It should be noted that a colon with anacrusis can correspond to one without; so of catalexis and τονή.

(i) The simplest form is the stichic (στίχος “a row”), in which the cola are of the same length. The scheme

   ⎧ a          ⎧ 2    ⎧ 4    ⎧ 6          ⎧ ais ⎨   —that is ⎨   or ⎨   or ⎨  , etc.—or ⎨ a and so forth:
   ⎩ a          ⎩ 2    ⎩ 4    ⎩ 6          ⎩ a
πᾶς γὰρ ἱππηλάτας
καὶ πεδοστιβὴς λεώς (Persæ, 126 sq.).
–⏑|⏗|–⏑|–ꞈ‖
–⏑|–⏑|–⏑|–ꞈ〛.

Where correspondence is indicated by

⎛ 4
⎝ 4.

It makes no difference that ⏗ is answered by –⏑ in the second foot.

(ii) To the stichic corresponds the palinodic period (παλινῳδία, “repetition”), in which not a single colon but a group of cola is repeated so far as length is concerned:—

μείξουσιν ἢ πρὸς Πυθίαις ἢ λαμπάσιν ἀκταῖς,
οὗ πότνιαι σεμνὰ τιθηνοῦνται τέλη (Œd. Col., 1047 sq.).
–⁝⏗⏑|– –|⏗⏑|– –‖–⏑⏑|– –‖
–⁝⏗⏑|⏘|–⏑⏑|– –‖⏗⏑|–ꞈ̄‖
  ⎰ 4 ⎞
⎛ ⎱ 2 ⎟ ⎞
⎝ ⎰ 4 ⎠ ⎟
  ⎱ 2   ⎠

This type of period is frequent in English poetry, where the use of rhyme and the absence of τονή make the cola perfectly plain, e.g.:—

Love still has something of the sea
From whence his Mother rose;
No time his slaves from care sets free,
Or gives their hearts repose.—(Sedley.)
  ⎰ 4 ⎞
⎛ ⎱ 3 ⎟ ⎞
⎝ ⎰ 4 ⎠ ⎟
  ⎱ 3   ⎠

(iii) Antithetic periods are formed by the inverted repetition whether of different cola or of different groups of cola.

(a) The simplest type is that in which a series of ungrouped cola is repeated in inverse order:—

διανταίαν λέγεις δόμοισι καί
σώμασιν πεπλαγμέναν
ἀναυδάτῳ μένει
ἀραίῳ τ’ ἐκ πατρὸς διχόφρονι πότμῳ (Septem, 895 sqq.).
⏑⁝⏗|⏗|–⏑|–⏑|–⏑|–ꞈ‖
  –⏑|–⏑|–⏑|–ꞈ‖
⏑⁝⏗|⏗|–⏑|–ꞈ‖
⏑⁝⏗|⏗|–⏑|–⏑|–⏑⏑|–˃〛.
6   ⎞
4 ⎞ ⎟
4 ⎠ ⎟
6   ⎠

(b) In a similar manner groups may be repeated antithetically. Each group retains its internal order; hence such periods are called “palinodic-antithetic”:—

δι’ αἰῶνος μακροῦ πάνολβον·
ἔνθεν πᾶσα βοᾷ χθών,
“φυσιζόου γένος τόδε Ζηνός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς·
τίς γὰρ ἂν κατέπαυσεν Ἥρας νόσους ἐπιβούλους;”
Διὸς τόδ’ ἔργον καὶ τόδ’ ἂν γένος λέγων
ἐξ Ἐπάφου κυρήσαις (Æsch., Supplices, 582 sqq.).

⏑⁝⏗|⏗|–⏑|–⏑|⏗|–ꞈ‖
  –˃|–⏑⏑|⏗|–ꞈ‖
⏑⁝–⏑|–⏑|–⏑|⏗‖–⏑|–⏑⏑|⏗|–ꞈ‖
  –⏑|–⏑⏑|–⏑|⏗‖–⏑|–⏑⏑|⏗|–ꞈ‖
⏑⁝–⏑|–˃|–⏑|–⏑|–⏑|–ꞈ‖
  –⏑⏑|–⏑|⏗|–ꞈ〛.
    ⎰ 6     ⎞
⎛   ⎱ 4     ⎟ ⎞
⎜   ⎰ 4 ⎞   ⎟ ⎟
⎜ ⎛ ⎱ 4 ⎟ ⎞ ⎟ ⎟
⎜ ⎝ ⎰ 4 ⎠ ⎟ ⎟ ⎟
⎜   ⎱ 4   ⎠ ⎟ ⎟
⎝   ⎰ 6     ⎠ ⎟
    ⎱ 4       ⎠

(iv) Any of the three periods just described, the stichic, the palinodic, the antithetic (whether simple or palinodic-antithetic) may be “mesodic,” that is, it may be grouped round a central colon (the mesode), to which no colon corresponds, save of course the mesode of the other strophe. The schemes, then, are:—

(a) Stichic-mesodic.

a ⎞
x ⎟
a ⎠

(b) Palinodic-mesodic.

  ⎰ a ⎞
⎛ ⎱ b ⎟ ⎞
⎜   x ⎟ ⎟
⎝ ⎰ a ⎠ ⎟
  ⎱ b   ⎠

(c) Antithetic-mesodic.

a   ⎞
b ⎞ ⎟
x ⎟ ⎟
b ⎠ ⎟
a   ⎠

(d) Palinodic-antithetic-mesodic.

    ⎰ a     ⎞
⎛   ⎱ b     ⎟ ⎞
⎜   ⎰ c ⎞   ⎟ ⎟
⎜ ⎛ ⎱ d ⎟ ⎞ ⎟ ⎟
⎜ ⎜   x ⎟ ⎟ ⎟ ⎟
⎜ ⎝ ⎰ c ⎠ ⎟ ⎟ ⎟
⎜   ⎱ d   ⎠ ⎟ ⎟
⎝   ⎰ a     ⎠ ⎟
    ⎱ b       ⎠

(a) The stichic-mesodic:—

ἀμηχανῶ φροντίδος στερηθείς
εὐπάλαμον μέριμναν
ὅπα τράπωμαι, πίτνοντος οἴκου (Agamemnon, 1530 sqq.).
⏑⁝–⏑|⏗|–⏑|–⏑|⏗|–ꞈ‖
  –⏑⏑|–⏑|⏗|–ꞈ‖
⏑⁝–⏑|⏗|–⏑|–⏑|⏗|–ꞈ‖.
6 ⎞
4 ⎟
6 ⎠

(b) The palinodic-mesodic:—

ἐμοὶ χρῆν συμφοράν,
ἐμοὶ χρῆν πημονὰν γενέσθαι,
Ἰδαίαν ὅτε πρῶτον ὕλαν
Ἀλέξανδρος εἰλατίναν
ἐτάμεθ’, ἅλιον ἐπ’ οἶδμα ναυστολήσων (Hecuba, 629 sqq.).
⏑⁝⏗|⏗|–⏑|–ꞈ‖
⏑⁝⏗|⏗|–⏑|–⏑|⏗|–ꞈ‖
  –˃|–⏑⏑|–⏑|–˃‖
⏑⁝⏗|–⏑|–⏑⏑|–ꞈ‖
⏑⁝⏑⏑⏑|⏑⏑⏑|–⏑|–⏑|⏗|–ꞈ‖.
  ⎰ 4   ⎞
⎛ ⎱ 6 ⎞ ⎟
⎜   4 ⎟ ⎟
⎝ ⎰ 4 ⎟ ⎠
  ⎱ 6 ⎠

(c) The antithetic-mesodic:—

σύ τοι σύ τοι κατηξίωσας,
ὦ βαρύποτμε, κοὐκ
ἄλλοθεν ἔχει τύχᾳ
τᾶδ’ ἀπὸ μείζονος·
εὖτέ γε παρὸν φρονῆσαι ... (Philoctetes, 1095 sqq.).
⏑⁝–⏑|–⏑|–⏑|–⏑‖
  –⏑|⏑⏑⏑|–ꞈ‖
˃⁝⏑⏑⏑|–⏑|–ꞈ‖
  –⏑⏑|–⏑|–ꞈ‖
˃⁝⏑⏑⏑|–⏑|⏗|–ꞈ‖.
4   ⎞
3 ⎞ ⎟
3 ⎟ ⎟
3 ⎠ ⎟
4   ⎠

(d) The palinodic-antithetic-mesodic:—

μή μοι μὴ προδίδου·
μόνος μόνῳ κόμιζε πορθμίδος σκάφος.
χαιρέτω μὲν αὖλις ἥδε, χαιρέτω δὲ θυμάτων
ἀποβώμιος[890] ἃν ἔχει θυσίαν
Κύκλωψ Αἰτναῖος ξενικῶν κρέων κεχαρμένος βορᾷ.
νηλής, ὦ τλᾶμον
ὅστις δωμάτων ἐφεστίους ... (Cyclops, 351 sqq.).[891]
  –˃|–⏑⏑|–ꞈ‖
⏑⁝–⏑|–⏑|–⏑|–⏑|–⏑|–ꞈ‖
  –⏑|–⏑|–⏑|–⏑‖–⏑|–⏑|–⏑|–ꞈ‖
ω⁝–⏑⏑|–⏑|–⏑⏑|–ꞈ‖
  –˃|–˃|–⏑⏑|–⏑‖–⏑|–⏑|–⏑|–ꞈ‖
  –˃|–˃|–ꞈ‖
  ⏗|⏗|–⏑|–⏑|–⏑|–ꞈ〛.
    ⎰ 3     ⎞
⎛   ⎱ 6     ⎟ ⎞
⎜ ⎛ ⎰ 4 ⎞   ⎟ ⎟
⎜ ⎜ ⎱ 4 ⎟ ⎞ ⎟ ⎟
⎜ ⎜   4 ⎟ ⎟ ⎟ ⎟
⎜ ⎜ ⎰ 4 ⎠ ⎟ ⎟ ⎟
⎜ ⎝ ⎱ 4   ⎠ ⎟ ⎟
⎜   ⎰ 3     ⎠ ⎟
⎝   ⎱ 6       ⎠

Most of the periodic structures which have been described are by no means obvious to the ear. A trained sense of rhythm, attention to quantity, and careful practice, will reduce the difficulties. But in any case Greek periods are far less easy to grasp than English. Their variety and length, the frequent occurrence of prolongation, resolution, and irrational syllables, the possibility of preludes or postludes—all these are formidable to modern students, who lack the help of the music. We may perhaps work out the period with ease on paper, but our ear often cannot appreciate the balance and contour of the whole as it can in English lyrics, where we have the immense assistance of a rhyme-scheme. But it is no sound deduction that the study of Greek lyric metre and rhythm is therefore useless. We cannot always hear the period—that is a question of music; but we can always hear the colon—that is a question of language. To utter the cola correctly is easy after a little practice; and it is these “sentences” which, by their own internal rhythmical nature and by the identities or contrasts existing between them, reinforce and more pungently articulate the sense of the words wherefrom they are moulded.