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. FOOTNOTES [1] See Haigh, _The Tragic Drama of the Greeks_, pp. 19 _sq._ [2] It arose in a similar fashion to tragedy, from the phallic songs to Dionysus at his winter festival. [3] τί ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν Διόνυσον; (Plutarch, _Symposiaca_, 615 A). [4] Pp. 39-41.