Subjoined is a scheme of the iambic verse as written by the tragedians. The writers of comedy allowed themselves licenses with which we are not here concerned. Euripides is much fonder of resolved feet than Æschylus or Sophocles. 1 2 3 4 5 6 ⏑– ⏑– ⏑‖– ⏑‖– ⏑– ⏑– ⏑⏑⏑ ⏑⏑⏑ ⏑‖⏑⏑ ⏑‖⏑⏑ ⏑⏑⏑ ⏑⏑ – – [⏑⏑–] –‖– [⏑⏑–] – – –⏑⏑ –‖⏑⏑ [⏑⏑–] ⏑⏑– [⏑⏑–] § III. THE TROCHAIC TETRAMETER Under this head we shall deal only with trochees as used in dialogue. Originally all dialogue was written in this metre,[865] and they sometimes appear in extant plays when the situation is too hurried or excited for iambics though not agitated enough for lyrical dialogue. These passages are not usually long, and it is interesting to note that the longest are found in the two most melodramatic plays, _Orestes_ and _Iphigenia at Aulis_.[866] The metre is always the trochaic tetrameter catalectic[867] (sometimes called the trochaic octonarius), that is, a line consisting of eight feet, mostly trochees, with “catalexis”. Catalexis occurs when the last foot of a line has not its full number of syllables, the remainder being filled by a pause in delivery. Pure trochaic verses are occasionally to be found:— – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ – κατα | πως αφ|ικομ|εσθα | δευρο | ταυτ αμ|ηχαν|ωꞈ| (_Ion_, 548). 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The mark ꞈ means that there is a pause equivalent in length to a short syllable. It is often found in the scansion of lyrics, and there one also at times uses -̭ ⏗̭ ⏘̭, which mean pauses equivalent to two, three, and four short syllables respectively. As in iambics, the last syllable may be short by nature:— – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ ⏑– ουχι | σωφρον|ειν γ επ|εμψε | δευρο σ | η Δι|ος δαμ|αρꞈ (_Heracles_, 857). This metre is plainly analogous to Tennyson’s Dreary gleams about the moorland flying over Locksley Hall. But such purely trochaic lines are rare. Other feet are usually admitted, especially the spondee:— – ⏑ – – – ⏑ – – – ⏑ – – – ⏑ – βλεψον | _εις ημ_|ας ιν | _αρχας_ | των λογ|_ων ταυτ_|ας λαβ|ωꞈ (_Iph. Aul._, 320). Spondees may occur only in the second, fourth, or sixth foot. The tribrach also is often employed by Euripides:— – ⏑ – – – ⏑ – – ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ – – – ⏑ – ψηφον | αμφ ημ|ων πολ|ιτας | _επι φον_|ῳ θεσθ|αι χρε|ωνꞈ (_Orestes_, 756). – ⏑ – – – ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ – ⏑ – ευτυχ|εις δ ημ|εις εσ|_ομεθα_ | ταλλα δ | ου λεγ|ουσ ομ|ωςꞈ (_Iph. Taur._ 1232).