Papers of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (4.1885-1886)

98

ON GREEK VERSIFICATION IN INSCRIPTIONS.

short. long.

Kp init. 12 (6) 4(l)

m.c. 18(2) 8(1)

med. 3(2) 16(5)

k\ init. 4 2

m.c. 23 (15) 22(14)

med. 2(1) 2

K|i med. 1 1

kv init. 1

med. 4(3)

7rp init. 17 (10)

m.c. —

med. 2

ir\ init. 4

m.c. I

med. 4

irv med. 1

7(6)

5(2)
2(0)

3
1

4

long.

Tp init.

17(5)

2(1)

8v init.

4



m.c.

2

3(0

med.

1

-

med. 40 (35)

51

7P init.

1(0)

-

tjjl med.

1

1

m.c.



2(0)

tv med.

1(0)

4

med.

2

3(2>

XP >mt-

5 (4)



■y\ med.

-

I

med.

1



7H med.

-

3(2)

XV med.

5(4)-

9 K°)

■yv m.c.

!

12 (8)

(j>p init.

2

1

med.



8(7)

m.c.

1

4(2)

Pp init.

8(2)



med.

2(0)

2

med.

2(1)

1 (0)

4>v med.



1

Sp init.

2(1)



Sp init.
m.c.

2(0)

1

m.c.
med.

I

3

2(1)
1

med.



1 (0)

Sp. med.



3(2)

6\ med.

1

4(3)

8v med.



i

Bp. med.



6







long.

We find illustrated what has often been pointed out before, that
y/38 weigh more than ktttx^; and the nasals — especially p,—
more than p and A (811, yp., Sp, Sv make position wherever used) :
furthermore, that position before an initial group is distinctly weaker
than before a medial group. For the rest, the tendency to shorten-
ing is stronger than in Homer. The proportion of shortenings is
greater, and so is the proportion of avoidable shortenings — those
not required by the form of the word.

For instance. In Homer irp makes a short syllable about 273
times, a long syllable about 1150 times;1 against 19 and 10 of the
inscriptions. Before initial Trp Homer has about 272 shorts and
about 1000 longs; the inscriptions 17 shorts and 5 longs. Of these
272 shorts, about 60 — less than a fourth — are avoidable, in the
sense explained above; in the inscriptions 10 of the 17 are avoid-
able.

1 An exact count has probably never been made. These figures, partly count
and partly estimate, are based on La Roche's statistics.