The Greek Tragic Trimeter as a Prosodic Milieu

Abstract

The iambic trimeter has been studied extensively, but mostly from a descriptive point of view. This article places the discussion of the tragic trimeter in relation to the functionalist tradition of the study of rhythm and syntax in verse. It presents new data on the interdependence of rhythm and word boundary placement in the tragic trimeter (based on the work of Attic tragic playwrights and the Byzantine Christus Patiens), focusing on the remarkable stability of word placement patterns and the salience of the underlying binary structure of the iambic rhythm toward the end of the line. In this light, the restrictions on word boundaries in the last metron, most importantly Porson’s bridge, are argued to have a rhythmical explanation. Furthermore, based on a juxtaposition of a number of prosodic criteria, including the repertories of word shapes (rhythmic words) in various genres and authors, the study argues that the tragic iambic trimeter represents a distinctive prosodic milieu, different from both prose (and, very likely, spoken speech) and melic poetry.