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refers to can only have been prevalent to a very limited extent, and perhaps only at a late period, since Plato's remarks are quite unspecific and do not go so far as to imply actual reversals of syllabic values. Even where these phenomena occur, they are not likely to mislead us, because they stand out as anomalies in a rhythmic scheme that is otherwise clear and regular. |
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The ancients were well acquainted with the practice of beating time to music. In the previous chapter we have mentioned clapping and body-slapping in some Archaic dance, clappers and castanets, and the aulete's clapper-shoe. An essayist of the early fourth century BC speaks of lecturers on music who sing and play pieces for comparative purposes, beating out the rhythms on the 'little board' beneath their feet. Quintilian describes the citharode marking time with his foot as he plays, and elsewhere he refers to rhythm being measured out by foot-tapping or finger-snapping.13 It was also measured out by bodily movement whenever people marched or danced to music. |
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From the second half of the fifth century BC, if not earlier, it was customary to divide each measure into 'up' and 'down' segments (ano, kato), later called 'lift' and 'step' (arsis, basis) or 'lift' and 'placement' (arsis, thesis), corresponding to the raising and lowering of the foot.14 These segments were not necessarily equal in length. When they were unequal, the 'down' part of the measurethe thesis, to use what became the established termwas usually the longer. Theoreticians classified rhythms according to the ratio between the segments (1 : 1, 1 : 2, etc.). Their writings provide us with a quantity of information on how the division was made in the case of various |
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(Footnote continued from previous page) |
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of the next word. But that phenomenon has its origin in the spoken language: see my Greek Metre, 11f. |
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13 Alcidamas(?) in PHib. 13. 29ff., Quint. Inst. 1. 12. 3, 9. 4. 51, 55. Cf. also Simias, Egg 10-12; Cic. Orat. 198; Caesius Bassus ap. Rufinum, Gramm. Lat. vi. 555. 24; Terentianus Maurus 2254f.; 'Mar. Vict.' (Aphth.), Gramm. Lat. vi. 40. 15, 44. 4; Philostr. Imag. 1. 10. 4; Philostr. Jun. Imag. 7. 3; Gregory of Nyssa, Contra Eunomium 1. 17. |
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14Ano/kato: Damon ap. Pl. Resp. 400b, ps.-Hippoc. De Victu 1. 18. 3, Aristox. Rhythm. 2. 17, 20, 25, 29. Arsis/basis: Aristox. Rhythm. 2. 20, 21, Psell. Intro. Rhythm. 8, 12. Arsis/thesis: Herophilus T 183 yon Staden (pp. 354f., cf. 276-82, 392f.), Aristid. Quint. p. 31. 9ff., Bacchius, Harm. 98, 101, Excerpta Neapol. p. 414. 8 Jan = 28. 14 Pearson, Anon. Bellerm. 1, 3, Anon. Ambros. pp. 225. 16, 227. 10ff. Stud., etc. This pair of terms probably goes back to a Peripatetic source, cf. ps.-Arist. Pr. 5. 41. |
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