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The Date of thePrometheus Vinctus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

E. C. Yorke
E. C. Yorke
Affiliation:
New College, Oxford
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Extract

It has frequently been observed that the Prometheus Vinctus shows certain Sophoclean characteristics of rhythm. In order to vary the rhythm of his iambics and to avoid monotony, Sophocles often knits consecutive trimeters closely together by placing at the end of one line some word which looks forward to the next line, and so precludes the reader from stopping for the natural pause after the sixth foot. Sometimes he uses in this way subordinating words which introduce a dependent clause in the next line (Antig. 311); sometimes proclitics (O.C. 495) or quasi-proclitics (O.R. 267). (Sometimes, too, he even allows elision at the end of the trimeter, but this peculiarly Sophoclean device does not concern us now.)

Type
Research Article
Information
The Classical Quarterly , Volume 30 , Issue 3-4 , October 1936 , pp. 153 - 154
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1936

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References

page 153 note 1 For example, by Mr. E. Harrison in a paper read to the Cambridge Philological Society in 1921. I have not seen this paper, but only a summary of it—kindly sent me by Professor Fordyce—which is printed in Cambridge Univ. Reporter, November 22nd, 1921. So far as I can judge from this summary, Mr. Harrison underestimates the gulf which separates the P.V. from the trilogy in respect of Sophoclean features, with the result that he comes only to the very cautious conclusion that ‘We cannot be sure that the Prometheus was earlier than the trilogy.’

page 153 note 2 I do not mean to imply that Soph, necessarily invented them; he may have copied Aeschylus.

page 153 note 3 Reff. are to Sidgwick's edition, 1902 (Oxford Classical Texts).

page 154 note 1 Perhaps we should include Ag. 297 and 1229.

page 154 note 2 I do not consider the possibility of dating the Prometheus before the Septem since, other reasons, this would involve a quite incredible series of changes in Aeschylus' metrical style.