Porson's Law
Encyclopedia
Porson's Law is a metrical law
concerning a "bridge" in Greek
iambic trimeter
s, the most common dialogue-meter in Greek tragedy and comedy
. In its most general form it states that, in anceps-cretic or cretic-anceps meters, such as the iambic trimeter, no word-break may follow a long anceps
, except in the case of a main caesura
.
This metrical law, named after its discoverer, the late-18th-century British Classical scholar Richard Porson
, appeared originally in Porson's edition of the Hecuba of Euripides
. Its original phrasing is
Martin L. West
(1987:25) has defined Porson's Law thus: "When the anceps of the third metron is occupied by a long syllable, this syllable and the one following belong to the same word, unless one of them is a monosyllable." Accordingly, after a long anceps in the third metron, the beginning of a new word is avoided. West further observed that "there are very few exceptions in tragedy, most of them textually suspect."
Meter (poetry)
In poetry, metre is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse. Many traditional verse forms prescribe a specific verse metre, or a certain set of metres alternating in a particular order. The study of metres and forms of versification is known as prosody...
concerning a "bridge" in Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
iambic trimeter
Iambic trimeter
iambic trimeter is a meter of poetry consisting of three iambic units per line.In ancient Greek poetry, iambic trimeter is a quantitative meter, in which a line consisted of three iambic metra and each metron consisted of two iambi...
s, the most common dialogue-meter in Greek tragedy and comedy
Theatre of Ancient Greece
The theatre of Ancient Greece, or ancient Greek drama, is a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece between c. 550 and c. 220 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political and military power during this period, was its centre, where it was...
. In its most general form it states that, in anceps-cretic or cretic-anceps meters, such as the iambic trimeter, no word-break may follow a long anceps
Anceps
In Greek and Latin meter, an anceps syllable is a syllable in a metrical line which can be either short or long. An anceps syllable may be called "free" or "irrational" depending on the type of meter being discussed....
, except in the case of a main caesura
Caesura
thumb|100px|An example of a caesura in modern western music notation.In meter, a caesura is a complete pause in a line of poetry or in a musical composition. The plural form of caesura is caesuras or caesurae...
.
This metrical law, named after its discoverer, the late-18th-century British Classical scholar Richard Porson
Richard Porson
Richard Porson was an English classical scholar. He was the discoverer of Porson's Law; and the Greek typeface Porson was based on his handwriting.-Early life:...
, appeared originally in Porson's edition of the Hecuba of Euripides
Euripides
Euripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
. Its original phrasing is
Martin L. West
Martin Litchfield West
Martin Litchfield West is an internationally recognised scholar in classics, classical antiquity and philology...
(1987:25) has defined Porson's Law thus: "When the anceps of the third metron is occupied by a long syllable, this syllable and the one following belong to the same word, unless one of them is a monosyllable." Accordingly, after a long anceps in the third metron, the beginning of a new word is avoided. West further observed that "there are very few exceptions in tragedy, most of them textually suspect."