Preliminary Texts in T


Triclinian Treatises

Text 1: Epitome of the nine meters from the handbook of Hephaestion. ἐπιτομὴ τῶν θʹ μέτρων ἐκ τοῦ ἐγχειριδίου Ἡφαιστίωνος

(αʹ) 1τὸ ἰαμβικὸν μέτρον δέχεται κατὰ μὲν τὰς περιττὰς χώρας, τουτέστι πρώτην, τρίτην, πέμπτην, ἴαμβον (⏑ ‒ s.l.), τρίβραχυν (⏑ ⏑ ⏑ s.l.), σπονδεῖον (‒ ‒ s.l.), δάκτυλον (‒ ⏑ ⏑ s.l.), ἀνάπαιστον (⏑ ⏑ ‒ s.l.), κατὰ δὲ τὰς ἀρτίους, τουτέστι δευτέραν, τετάρτην, ἕκτην, ἴαμβον, τρίβραχυν, ἀνάπαιστον·   2τοῦτον δὲ παρὰ τοῖς κωμικοῖς συνεχῶς, παρὰ δὲ τοῖς ἰαμβοποιοῖς καὶ τραγικοῖς σπανιώτερον.   3ὅτε μὲν οὖν ἀκατάληκτόν ἐστιν, ἐπὶ τῆς τελευταίας τὸν ἴαμβον δέχεται μόνον ἢ πυρρίχιον (⏑ ⏑ s.l.) διὰ τὴν ἀδιάφορον, ὅτε δὲ καταληκτικόν, τὸν ἴαμβον παραλήγοντα, ἢ σπανίως τρίβραχυν, ὥστε γίνεσθαι τὴν κατακλεῖδα ἤτοι ἀμφίβραχυν (⏑ ‒ ⏑ s.l.) ἢ βακχεῖον (⏑ ‒ ‒ s.l.). 

(βʹ) 4τὸ τροχαϊκὸν κατὰ μὲν τὰς περιττὰς χώρας δέχεται τροχαῖον (‒ ⏑ s.l.), τρίβραχυν (⏑ ⏑ ⏑ s.l.), ἴαμβον (⏑ ‒ s.l.), καὶ δάκτυλον (‒ ⏑ ⏑ s.l.), κατὰ δὲ τὰς ἀρτίους τούτους τε καὶ σπονδεῖον (‒ ‒ s.l.) καὶ ἀνάπαιστον (⏑ ⏑ ‒ s.l.).  5καταληκτικὸν δὲ ὅτε ἐστί, τὸν παραλήγοντα μάλιστα μὲν τροχαῖον (‒ ⏑ s.l.) δέχεται, ἔστι δὲ ὅτε καὶ τρίβραχυν·   6ἐὰν δὲ ᾖ βραχυκατάληκτον, οὐ βούλεται τὸν παραλήγοντα τετράσημον (τετράχρονον s.l.) ἔχειν. 

(γʹ) 7τὸ δακτυλικὸν δέχεται δακτύλους (‒ ⏑ ⏑ s.l.) καὶ σπονδείους (‒ ‒ s.l.) κατὰ πᾶσαν χώραν πλὴν τῆς τελευταίας·   8ἐπὶ ταύτης δέ, εἰ μὲν ἀκατάληκτον εἴη, δάκτυλον (‒ ⏑ ⏑ s.l.) ἕξει ἢ διὰ τὴν ἀδιάφορον κρητικόν (‒ ⏑ ‒ s.l.)·   9εἰ δὲ καταληκτικόν, τὰ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ μεμειωμένα ἤτοι συλλαβῇ ἢ δύο συλλαβαῖς·   10καὶ τὸ μὲν καλεῖται καταληκτικὸν εἰς συλλαβήν, τὸ δὲ καταληκτικὸν εἰς δισύλλαβον.   11τὰ δὲ αἰολικὰ καλούμενα τὸν μὲν πρῶτον ἔχει πόδα πάντως ἕνα τῶν δισυλλάβων ἀδιάφορον, ἤτοι σπονδεῖον ἢ ἴαμβον ἢ τροχαῖον ἢ πυρρίχιον, τοὺς δὲ ἐν μέσῳ δακτύλους πάντας.   12ἔστι δέ τινα καὶ λογαοιδικὰ καλούμενα δακτυλικά, ἅπερ ἐν μὲν ταῖς ἄλλαις χώραις δακτύλους ἔχει, τελευταίαν δὲ τροχαϊκὴν συζυγίαν.   13ἰστέον ὅτι τὰ μὲν ἄνω εἰρημένα κατὰ συζυγίαν μετρεῖται, τοῦτο δὲ μόνον κατὰ μονοποδίαν. 

(δʹ) 14τὸ ἀναπαιστικὸν κατὰ πᾶσαν χώραν δέχεται σπονδεῖον (– – s.l.), ἀνάπαιστον (⏑ ⏑ – s.l.), σπανίως δὲ καὶ προκελευσματικόν (⏑⏑⏑⏑ s.l.), παρὰ δὲ τοῖς δραματοποιοῖς ἴαμβον (⏑ – s.l.) καὶ δάκτυλον (– ⏑ ⏑ s.l.).  15εἰσὶ δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀποθέσεις ἕξ κατὰ συζυγίαν διαιρουμένου· ὑπερκατάληκτον εἰς δισύλλαβον, ὑπερκατάληκτον εἰς συλλαβήν, ἀκατάληκτον, καταληκτικὸν εἰς δισύλλαβον, καταληκτικὸν εἰς συλλαβήν, βραχυκατάληκτον.   16ὥσπερ δὲ ἐν τῷ δακτυλικῷ ἦν τι λογαοιδικόν, οὕτω κἀν τοῖς ἀναπαιστικοῖς τὸ εἰς βακχεῖον (⏑ – – s.l.) περαιούμενον, οὗ ἐστιν ἐπισημότατον τὸ μετὰ τέσσαρας πόδας αὐτὸν ἔχον τὸν βακχεῖον·   17ὧν ὁ πρῶτος γίνεται καὶ σπονδεῖος καὶ ἴαμβος. 

(εʹ) 18τὸ χοριαμβικὸν (– ⏑ ⏑ – s.l.) συντίθεται μὲν καὶ καθαρόν, συντίθεται δὲ καὶ ἐπίμικτον πρὸς τὰς ἰαμβικάς (⏑ – ⏑ – s.l.)·   19ὡς ἐπίπαν δέ, ὅτε καταληκτικόν ἐστιν, ἐς τὴν ἰαμβικὴν κατακλεῖδα περαιοῦται, τουτέστιν εἰς ἀμφίβραχυν (⏑ – ⏑ s.l.) ἢ βακχεῖον (⏑ – – s.l.) διὰ τὴν ἀδιάφορον·   20περαιοῦται μὲν γὰρ καὶ εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν, τὸν δάκτυλον ἢ κρητικόν (‒ ⏑ ‒ s.l.), ἀλλὰ τῷ ταῦτα συνεχέστερα εἶναι ἀπρεπέστερά ἐστιν. 

(ϛʹ) 21τὸ ἀντισπαστικὸν (⏑ – – ⏑ s.l.) τὴν μὲν πρώτην συζυγίαν ἔχει τρεπομένην κατὰ τὸν πρότερον πόδα εἰς τὰ τέσσαρα τοῦ δισυλλάβου σχήματα, τὰς δ’ ἐν μέσῳ καθαρὰς ἀντισπαστικάς, τὴν δὲ τελευταίαν, ὁπότε ἐστὶν ἀκατάληκτον, ἰαμβικήν·   22ἐὰν δὲ ἀναμίσγηται ταῖς ἰαμβικαῖς, οὐ μόνον τὴν πρώτην συζυγίαν ἔχει τρεπομένην κατὰ τὸν πρότερον πόδα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ταῖς ἰαμβικαῖς ἑπομένην.   23ἔστι δὲ ὅτε καὶ λύεται ὁ πρότερος ποὺς εἰς τρίβραχυν. 

(ζʹ) 24τὸ ἀπὸ μείζονος ἰωνικὸν (– – ⏑ ⏑ s.l.) συντίθεται μὲν καὶ καθαρόν, συντίθεται δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὰς τροχαϊκὰς (‒ ⏑ ‒ ⏑ s.l.) ἐπίμικτον·   25ὅτε μέντοι ἀκατάληκτόν ἐστι καθόλου, σπανίως εἰς τὴν ἰωνικὴν περαιοῦται διὰ τὸ ἀπρεπῆ εἶναι τὴν ἰωνικὴν ἐπὶ τέλους οὖσαν. 

(ηʹ) 26τὸ ἀπ’ ἐλάσσονος ἰωνικὸν (⏑ ⏑ – – s.l.) συντίθεται μὲν καὶ καθαρόν, συντίθεται δὲ καὶ ἐπίμικτον πρὸς τὰς τροχαϊκὰς (‒ ⏑ ‒ ⏑ s.l.) διποδίας οὕτως ὥστε τὴν πρὸ τῆς τροχαϊκῆς ἀεὶ γίνεσθαι πεντάσημον, τουτέστι τρίτην παιωνικήν, καὶ τὴν τροχαϊκήν, ὁπόταν προτάττοιτο τῆς ἰωνικῆς, γίνεσθαι ἑπτάσημον τροχαϊκήν, τὸν καλούμενον δεύτερον ἐπίτριτον (– ⏑ – – s.l.).   27ἔσθ’ ὅτε δὲ ἡ μὲν τρίτη παιωνικὴ συναιρεῖται εἰς παλιμβάκχειον (– – ⏑ s.l.), τῆς δὲ ἐπιφερομένης τροχαϊκῆς ὁ πρότερος λύεται εἰς τρίβραχυν.   28ἐμπίπτουσι δὲ καὶ οἱ μολοττοὶ (– – – s.l.) ἐπὶ τῶν περιττῶν χωρῶν ἐν τοῖς ἀπ’ ἐλάσσονος ἰωνικοῖς, ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς ἀπὸ μείζονος ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρτίων.  

(θʹ) 29τὸ δὲ παιωνικὸν εἴδη μὲν ἔχει τρία, τό τε κρητικόν (– ⏑ – s.l.) καὶ τὸ βακχειακὸν (⏑ – – s.l.) καὶ τὸ παλιμβακχειακόν (– – ⏑ s.l.), ὃ καὶ ἀνεπιτήδειόν ἐστι πρὸς μελοποιΐαν, τὸ δὲ κρητικὸν ἐπιτήδειον.  30δέχεται δὲ καὶ λύσεις τὰς εἰς τοὺς καλουμένους παιῶνας·   31καλεῖται δὲ καὶ ὑπ’ αὐτῶν τῶν ποιητῶν κρητικόν.  

32τοσαῦτα περὶ τῶν ἐννέα μέτρων τῶν μονοειδῶν καὶ ὁμοιοειδῶν.   33παντὸς δὲ μέτρου ἀδιάφορός ἐστιν ἡ τελευταία συλλαβή, ὥστε δύνασθαι εἶναι αὐτὴν καὶ βραχεῖαν καὶ μακράν·   34καὶ πᾶν δὲ μέτρον εἰς τελείαν περατοῦται λέξιν, ὅθεν ἐπίληπτά ἐστι τὰ μὴ οὕτως ἔχοντα.   —T, Neap. = Naples II.F.31, Par. = Paris. gr. 2711, Arist. = Aristophanes mss as reported by Koster (families α, β)

APP. CRIT.:   variants peculiar to Arist. are not reported here   |    heading: ἐγχειριδίου om. Arist.; ἐκ τοῦ ἡφ. ἐπιτομὴ τ. ἐν. μ. transp. Arist. α   |    paragraph numbers in marg. at each paragraph T, Par. 2711, app. Neap., two of Arist. β   |    1 ἴαμβον καὶ τρίβραχυν καὶ ἀνάπαιστον Par., Arist.    |    3 s.l. ⏑ ⏑ om. T   |    ‒ ⏑ s.l. om. Neap.   |    6 τετράσημον] τετράχρονον s.l. T, Neap., Laur. 31.04 of Arist., ἤτοι τετράχρονον s.l. rubr. in Par., τετράχρονον in text Oxford Holkham 88 of Arist.   |    8 ἀκατάληκτον] καταληκτὸν Par.   |    ‒ ⏑ ⏑ s.l. om. Neap., Par.   |    11 second δὲ om. Neap.   |    13 after ἰστέον add. δὲ Neap.   |    14 all s.l. metrical symbols om. Par., only ‒ ‒ om. Neap.   |    16 ⏑ ‒ ‒ s.l. (after first βακχεῖον)] om. Par.   |    after second βακχεῖον add. ⏑ ‒ ‒ s.l. Neap.   |    18 ‒ ⏑ ⏑ ‒ and ⏑ ‒ ⏑ ‒ s.l. om. Par.   |    21 ⏑ ‒ ‒ ⏑ s.l. om. Par.   |    24 ‒ ‒ ⏑ ⏑ and ‒ ⏑ ‒ ⏑ s.l. om. Par.   |    26 ⏑ ⏑ ‒ ‒ and ‒ ⏑ ‒ ⏑ s.l. om. Par.   |    27 συναίρεται Neap.   |    – – ⏑ s.l. om. Neap.   |    after τροχαϊκῆς add. ‒ ⏑ Neap.   |    29 after παιωνικὸν add. ‒ ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ s.l. Neap.   |    first καὶ Neap., om. others   |    ‒ ‒ ⏑ s.l. om. Par.   |   

APP. CRIT. 2:   4 ‒ ⏑ (above τροχαῖον) om. Ta   |    15 αὐτοῦ] space of two letters + τοῦ Ta (T is not obscure here; Ta may have had the whole word and suffered damage?)   |    16 perhaps τέσσαρα T, but more likely a final sigma was present and has faded out   |    18 ⏑ ‒ ⏑ (above ἰαμβικάς) Ta   |    29 εἴδη] ἤδη T (εἴδη Ta)   |    30 παιῶνας accented thus TTa; παίωνας Neap., app. others (both accentuations are common in medieval mss)   |    32–33 Ta has a long mark over συλλαβή, which is probably a misinterpretation of the ὑφ’ ἕν mark that T places under the middle of ὁμοιοειδῶν, located just above συλλαβή in T.   |   

PREVIOUS EDITIONS:  Smith 1975, 253–255; Koster, Proleg. 51–55 (text XIII); Aubreton 30–32

COMMENT:   This epitome excerpts the opening sentences of each section of Hephaestion’s treatise, published in Consbruch 1–58; it is close to but not the same as the Epitome Hephaestionea edited from Parisinus gr. 2881 (15th cent.) by Consbruch 359–362, which contains some quoted examples. It appears on fols. 1r–2r of T, written in brown ink with angular breathings (therefore T3, ca. 1325). For all three treatises I have verified the readings of T and Ta and of the Sophoclean witness Paris. gr. 2711, but I have not yet seen Naples II.F.31 (the only other autograph copy, dated by Turyn and Smith as a little later thanT). Until I visit Naples, I rely on the reports of Smith, just as I rely on Koster for reports of Aristophanes mss (except for online images of Laur. plut.31.04 when it is relevant). The treatises are also in Triclinian mss of Pindar: Irigoin 1952, 34. On the Naples manuscript and some other witnesses of these Triclinian texts see also Smyth 1921, 1 n. 2.

COLLATION NOTES:   Check Naples II.F.31 and Koster’s mss, as the occasion arises (e.g. Arist. Lh = Oxford, Holkham gr. 88).   |   Check Ta for damage at 15, T for final sigma at 16.   |   


Text 2: A note of our own, that is, by Demetrius Triclinius. ἡμέτερον Δημητρίου τοῦ Τρικλινίου

1Ἰστέον ὅτι πάντα τὰ μέτρα πλὴν τοῦ δακτυλικοῦ κατὰ διποδίαν μετρεῖται καὶ ἀνέρχεται μέχρι τοῦ πενταμέτρου.  2ἔστι δὴ μονόμετρον μὲν τὸ ἔχον πόδας δύο, δίμετρον τὸ ἔχον πόδας δʹ, τρίμετρον τὸ ἔχον ἕξ, τετράμετρον τὸ ἔχον ηʹ, πεντάμετρον τὸ ἔχον δέκα, καὶ περαιτέρω οὐ πρόεισι.  3παντὸς δὲ μέτρου πλὴν τοῦ δακτυλικοῦ ἀποθέσεις ἤτοι καταλήξεις εἰσὶ τέσσαρες· βραχυκατάληκτον, καταληκτικόν, ἀκατάληκτον καὶ ὑπερκατάληκτον.  4καὶ βραχυκατάληκτον μέν ἐστιν, ὡς ἐν παραδείγματι ἐπὶ τοῦ μονομέτρου εἰπεῖν, ὅπερ ποδὸς ὅλου δεῖται πρὸς ἀπαρτισμόν, οἷον τὸ φεῦ φεῦ, ἢ τὸ ἰώ, ἢ τὸ ἔα.  5ταῦτα γὰρ μονόμετρά ἐστι βραχυκατάληκτα διὰ τὸ ἔχειν μὲν τὸν ἕνα πόδα, τοῦ ἑτέρου δὲ λείπεσθαι.  6καταληκτικὸν δὲ τὸ δεόμενον μιᾶς συλλαβῆς πρὸς ἀπαρτισμόν, οἷον τὸ ἰώ μοι, ἢ τὸ ὤμοι μοι.  7ταῦτα γὰρ μονόμετρά ἐστι καταληκτικὰ διὰ τὸ ἔχειν ὅλον πόδα καὶ μίαν συλλαβὴν ἤτοι ἥμισυ ποδός, λείπεσθαι δὲ μιᾶς συλλαβῆς πρὸς ἀπαρτισμόν.  8ἀκατάληκτον δὲ ὅπερ ἀπηρτισμένους ἔχει τοὺς πόδας, οἷον τὸ ἰοὺ ἰού, ἢ τὸ ἰὼ ἰώ, ἢ τὸ φεῦ φεῦ ἰώ·   9ταῦτα γὰρ μονόμετρά ἐστιν ἀκατάληκτα διὰ τὸ ἀπηρτισμένους ἔχειν τοὺς πόδας καὶ μὴ ἐλλιπεῖς ὡς τὰ εἰρημένα.  10ὑπερκατάληκτον δὲ τὸ ἔχον μὲν ἀπηρτισμένους τοὺς πόδας, ἔχον δὲ καὶ συλλαβὴν μίαν πλείονα.  11εἴρηται δὲ πλὴν τοῦ δακτυλικοῦ, ὅτι τοῦτο μόνον κατὰ μονοποδίαν μετρεῖται διὰ τὸ εἶναι τοὺς πόδας τρισυλλάβους.  12ὅτε μὲν οὖν ἀπηρτισμένους ἔχει τοὺς πόδας, λέγεται ἀκατάληκτον, ὅτε δὲ πλείονα συλλαβὴν ἔχει, λέγεται καταληκτικὸν εἰς συλλαβήν, ὅτε δὲ δύο, καταληκτικὸν εἰς δισύλλαβον.  13οὐκ ἔχει γὰρ ἐν τούτῳ χώραν τὸ βραχυκατάληκτον ἢ τὸ ὑπερκατάληκτον, ὡς οἱ μετρικοί φασι.  14ταῦτα καὶ ἐπὶ διμέτρου καὶ τριμέτρου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν συμβαίνει τὰ πάθη.   —T, Neap. = Naples II.F.31, Par. = Paris. gr. 2711, Arist. = Aristophanes mss as reported by Koster (families α, β)

TRANSLATION:   One should know that all the meters except the dactylic are measured in dipodies and extend in length up to the pentameter. Thus a monometer is the colon having two feet, a dimeter the one having four feet, a trimeter the one having six, a tetrameter the one having eight, a pentameter the one having ten, and the sequence proceeds no further. And of every meter except the dactylic there are four closures or endings (‘catalēxeis’): brachycatalectic, catalectic, acatalectic, and hypercatalectic. And brachycatalectic is, to use as an example the monometer, a unit that is one foot short of completeness, such as ‘pheu pheu’ or ‘iō’ or ‘eā’. For these are brachycatalectic monometers because they have the one foot, but lack the other. Catalectic is the unit that is a single syllable short of completion, such as ‘iō moi’ or ‘ōmoi moi’. For these are catalectic monometers because they have a whole foot plus one syllable, or half a foot, but are one syllable short of completion. Acatalectic is a unit that has its feet complete, such as ‘iou iou’ or ‘iō iō’ or ‘pheu pheu iō’. For these are acatalectic monometers because they have their feet complete and not deficient like the units previously mentioned. Hypercatalectic is the unit having its feet complete, but having one more syllable as well. The statement above was ‘except the dactylic’, because this one alone is measured in single-foot structure, because the feet are of three syllables. Now, when it (the dactylic) has its feet complete, it is called acatalectic, but when it has an extra syllable, it is called catalectic ending in a syllable, and when it has two (extra), catalectic ending in a disyllable. The brachycatalectic and the hypercatalectic have no place in this (type of meter), as the metrical authorities claim. These modifications (of ending) occur also in a dimeter and trimeter and so forth.

APP. CRIT.:   heading om. Ta   

APP. CRIT. 2:   2 δʹ] τέσσαρας Par.   |   

PREVIOUS EDITIONS:  Smith 1975, 255–256; Koster, Proleg. 55–56 (text XIV.1); Aubreton 32–33; Abel, Sch. rec. Pind. 40–41

COMMENT:   This text appears on fols. 2r–3r of T, written in brown ink with angular breathings (therefore T3, ca. 1325). See the comment on the first text.


Text 3: On the signs for common syllables appearing within this book. περὶ σημείων τῆς κοινῆς συλλαβῆς τῶν ἐντὸς κειμένων τῆς βίβλου

1ἐπειδήπερ οἱ πάλαι τὰ περὶ γραμματικῆς συνταξάμενοι σημεῖά τινα σοφῶς ἐπινοήσαντες παραδεδώκασιν, ἐξ ὧν τήν τε δύναμιν καὶ τὴν ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις ποιότητα τῶν συλλαβῶν καὶ τὴν προφορὰν διαγινώσκειν ἔχοιμεν·  2συλλαβῶν δέ μοι καὶ οὐ στοιχείων εἴρηται ἐπειδὴ τὰ μὲν στοιχεῖα καθ’ αὑτὰ κείμενα οὐδεμιᾶς τινος μετέχει δυνάμεως, συλληφθέντα δὲ καὶ οἷον ἑνωθέντα πρὸς ἄλληλα, καὶ τὰς συλλαβὰς ἀποτελέσαντα, δυνάμεις τέ τινας καὶ ποιότητας ἔχει·  3ἐπενόησαν δὲ ἄλλα τε σημεῖα, τόνους φημὶ καὶ πνεύματα καὶ τὰ λοιπά, ἃ δὴ καὶ προσῳδίας ὠνόμασαν, ὡς πρὸς τὴν ᾠδὴν καὶ τὴν ἐκφώνησιν τῶν συλλαβῶν συντελούσας, πρὸς τούτοις δὲ καὶ μακρᾶς μὲν σημεῖον τοδί· – · τῆς δὲ βραχείας τουτί· ⏑ · τῆς δὲ κοινῆς οὐδαμῶς·  4ἐκείνων γὰρ καὶ ὅρους ἔθεντο, ταύτης δὲ οὔ· καὶ τὰς αἰτίας αὐτοὶ λέγουσιν· ἐπενοήθη ἔμοιγε τῆς κοινῆς σημεῖον, διὰ τὴν τῶν πολλῶν πλάνην, καὶ οἶμαι καλὸν ἂν δόξαι τοῖς εὖ φρονοῦσιν.  5ἐπενοήθη δὲ διπλοῦν τὸ σημεῖον, διὰ τὸ διπλῆν τινα καὶ ταύτην ἔχειν τὴν δύναμιν.  6ὅτε μὲν οὖν ἀντὶ βραχείας ὀφείλει λαμβάνεσθαι, σημεῖον ἐπενοήθη τοδί· ⌙· μακρὰ δηλονότι καταρχὰς ἄνω βλέπον τὸ τοῦ ἰῶτα στοιχείου σημεῖον ἔχουσα·  7ὅτε δ’ ἀντὶ μακρᾶς, τοῦτο ἀντεστραμμένον οὑτωσί· ¬ · μακρὰ δηλονότι ἐν τῷ τέλει κάτω νεῦον τὸ τοῦ ἰῶτα σημεῖον ἔχουσα.  8βέλτιον γὰρ ταῦτα τιθέναι καὶ διαγινώσκειν ποία ἐστὶν ἡ κοινὴ, ἢ πλανωμένους τινὰς τὸ ποιεῖν γράφειν ποεῖν ἀμαθῶς, καὶ φύσει βραχὺ φωνῆεν, ἔχον δὲ ἐπαγόμενα δύο σύμφωνα, ὧν τὸ δεύτερον ἀμετάβολον, ἀεὶ ἀντὶ μακροῦ λαμβάνειν, ἢ καὶ τὸ φύσει βραχὺ φωνῆεν ὅταν εἰς μέρος λόγου καταλήγῃ, τὴν μακρὰν ἐπιτιθέντας ἀντὶ μακροῦ λαμβάνειν.  9ἄτοπον γὰρ οἶμαι τοῦτό γε. 

10ταῦτά μοι πρὸς τοὺς συνετοὺς εἴρηται, καὶ τῶν μέτρων ἔχοντας πεῖραν· εἰ δέ τινες εἶεν ὑπ’ ἀμαθίας μεμφόμενοι, βραχὺς τούτων λόγος.  11οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδ’ οἱ πάλαι τὰ κάλλιστ’ ἐπινενοηκότες ταῦτα τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐκδεδώκασιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς συνετοῖς, βραχὺν λόγον τῶν μὴ συνετῶν ἔχοντες, ὡς καί που τις ἔφη· ‘ἀείδω ξυνετοῖσι· θύρας δ’ ἐπίθεσθε βέβηλοι’ (Orph. Fr. 334 Kern).  12ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ἀδικεῖν ἂν φαίην τοὺς συνετούς, ὃς ἂν ἐπινοήσας σοφόν τι, τοῦτο λήθης βυθοῖς κατακρύψειε, δεδιὼς ἴσως τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἀσυνέτων μέμψιν.  13ἵν’ οὖν μὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀδικεῖν δόξω τοὺς συνετούς, τὸ ἐπελθόν μοι κατὰ νοῦν τούτοις προὔθηκα, οὗτοι δ’ ἂν εἰδεῖεν εἰ καλῶς ἔχει, ἢ μή·  14ἐπεὶ καὶ ἅ μοι περὶ τῶν χορικῶν μελῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἐν τοῖς δράμασι φερομένων εἰδῶν ἐπινενόηται θείᾳ τινὶ καὶ ἀπορρήτῳ ἐμπνεύσει, πλεῖστα πονησαμένῳ περί τε τούτων καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς μέτρων, καὶ ταῦτ’ ἐν τοῖς δράμασιν ἐξετέθη,  15ὡς ἂν οἱ ἐντυγχάνοντες ἔχοιεν διαγινώσκειν τάς τε στροφὰς καὶ ἀντιστροφὰς τῶν μελῶν καὶ τὰς ἐπῳδούς, καὶ τίνος ἐστὶν εἴδους καὶ μέτρου τῶν μελῶν ἕκαστον, καὶ μὴ μάτην τὰ τῶν χορῶν ὁρᾶν μέλη τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, μηδὲν δὲ τούτων εἰδέναι·  16ὥσπερ τινὲς μὴ γραμμάτων ἔχοντες πεῖραν καὶ βιβλίον ἀνὰ χεῖρας ἀράμενοι, βλέπουσι μὲν τύπους γραμμάτων, οὐδὲν δὲ τῶν ἐγκειμένων ἴσασιν.   —T, Neap. = Naples II.F.31, Par. = Paris. gr. 2711, Arist. = Aristophanes mss as reported by Koster (families α, β)

TRANSLATION:   Inasmuch as experts of the past who composed treatises concerning grammar wisely conceived of certain signs and handed them down to posterity, signs from which we would be able to make distinctions about the power and, as one might call it, the quality of syllables and their enunciation—and I have referred to syllables and not individual letters because the letters by themselves do not partake of any power at all, but when taken together and as it were united with each, that is, having formed syllables, they have certain powers and qualities. They conceived of other signs, by which I mean accents and breathing signs and the rest, which in fact they termed ‘prosōdiai’, and in addition to these (they invented) this sign of a long syllable: ‒ , and this one of a short: ⏑ , but by no means a sign of the common syllable. For they also established definitions of the former, but not of the latter, and they themselves speak of the causes. I for my part have devised a sign of the common syllable, because of the confusion felt by most people, and I believe it would seem a fine thing to persons of good sense. The sign has been devised in a double form, because in fact this kind of syllable has a kind of double valence. Now then, when it should be taken as equivalent to a short, the following sign has been created: ⌙ , that is, a long that has, looking upwards at its beginning, the sign of the letter iota. When it is equivalent to a long, this is turned around like this: ¬ , that is, a long that has, inclining down at its end, the shape of the iota. For it is better to place these signs and distinguish of which sort the common syllable is, rather than the way certain people, erring, foolishly write ‘poeîn’ as ‘poeîn’, and always interpret a vowel short by nature, but having two consonants following it, of which the second is a liquid or nasal (‘ametabolon’), as a long, or when the naturally short vowel ends a phrase, they place a long mark and take it as long. For I believe this is odd.

What I have said here is addressed to the intelligent and those having some experience of metrics. But if there should be any who reproach this because of ignorance, they deserve scant notice. For neither did the men of old who devised the finest inventions give these things forth to people of this kind, but to the intelligent, thus paying little attention to the unintelligent, just as someone says somewhere: ‘I sing to the intelligent; you profane persons, close the doors (scil. of your ears)’. And I would even claim that he is wronging the intelligent, anyone who, having conceived of something wise, would keep this hidden in the depths of oblivion, being afraid of the criticism coming from the unintelligent. Therefore, so that I myself too may not seem to wrong the intelligent, I have set out for them the idea that came to my mind, and these are the ones who would know whether it is a good thing or not. For also those ideas I have developed, by a kind of divine and secret inspiration, about choral lyrics and the other features found in the dramas, after toiling very much about these (dramas) and the meters in them, these ideas too have been set forth in the dramas, in order that the readers may be able to distinguish the strophes and antistrophes of the songs and the epodes, and of what class and meter each of the songs is, and may not be able, when it comes to the songs of the choruses, to look upon them in vain with their eyes while not understanding any of these things. It is like certain people who have no experience of letters and have picked up a book in their hands: they look upon the outlines of the letters, but know nothing of the content (of the book).

APP. CRIT.:   heading: after βίβλου add. ἡμέτερον δημητρίου τοῦ τρικλινίου Par.   |    13 καὶ om. Neap. (unless omission an oversight by Smith)   

APP. CRIT. 2:   4 ἁλλά τε T, Par.   |    6 κατ’ ἀρχὰς printed by Smith   |    8 ποίά ἐστιν T, Par.   |    10 ἀμαθίας Par., Lh of Arist., p.c. T (and Ta), ἀμαθείας a.c. T (also reported in some Pindar mss by Abel, in Arist. Lh by Koster   |    16 ὥσπέρ τινες T, Par.   |   

PREVIOUS EDITIONS:  Smith 1975, 256–257; Koster, Prolegomena de comoedia 57–59 (text XIV.2); Aubreton 35–36; Abel, Sch. rec. Pind. 41–43

COMMENT:   (1) This text of Triclinius’ own composition appears on fols. 3r–v of T, written in brown ink with angular breathings (therefore T3, ca. 1325). In Par. this text does not follow the two above on 2r, but is on 3v–4r between the argumenta of Ajax and the dram. pers. of Ajax. The displacement is acknowldeged in a marginal note in red on 3v saying τοῦτο πρότερον ὤφειλε γραφῆναι μετὰ τὸ περὶ πέτρων. On 2r after the end of the second treatise, only the heading περὶ κοινῆς συλλαβῆς is found, followed by a blank space of about half a page, and then the Life of Sophocles begins in the bottom quarter of 2r. (2) On 11: the Orphic line was probably known to Triclinius from Sch. vet. Soph. OC 10 and/or Suda β 218; it also occurs in Gaudentius, Harmonica introductio p. 327,3 Jan; also, with ἀείσω for ἀείδω, Stob. 3.1.199, 3.41.9 (ascribed to Pythagoras); the first half line is often quoted by itself with ἀείσω, and several authors cite just the second half of the line, or the similar verse φθέγξομαι οἷς θέμις ἐστί· θύρας δ’ ἐπίθεσθε βέβηλοι.




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