Thaddaeus redux: Ziełiński on the Euripidean trimeter revisited

Abstract

It is now well known and generally accepted that Euripides’ otherwise undated plays can be dated approximately by the amount of resolution in the iambic trimeters. T. Zielinski’s statistical study, published in 1925, is both much more extensive and detailed and better-informed metrically than those of his successors. In particular, he was able to formulate ten ‘laws’ relating to resolution, and to classify the plays chronologically in groups according to metrical style. His book is, however, hard to find and not easy to read, chiefly because of the out-dated terminology and the way in which it is used. The following paper consists of an abridged version, with some reorganization, corrections, additional figures and percentages. Further, I examine some of the ways in which admitting more resolution enabled Euripides to widen his vocabulary by comparison with Aeschylus and Sophocles.