A change in the distribution of accents in Homer in verses with trochaic words ending in the fourth trochee

ABRITTA, ALEJANDRO

Philologus. Zeitschrift für antike Literatur und ihre Rezeption

De Gruyter

Lugar: Berlín; Año: 2019 vol. 163 p. 185 - 197

2196-7008

The goal ofthis paper is to present an accentual rule for a combination of locations ofthe Homeric hexameter, the fourth and the sixth metra. The author shows that,when there is a trochaic word ending in the fourth trochee, the location ofHermann?s bridge, there is a change in the distribution of accent types in thesixth metron, favoring what he calls ?barytone falls?, that is, post-acute longsyllables. After presenting the regular distribution of accents in the sixthmetron, the author shows how that distribution is modified when there is atrochaic ending word in the fourth trochee. The results are later revised forpossible formulaic interferences. Finally, he considers the implications ofthis phenomenon for the interpretation of Hermann?s law and speculates on itsinfluence on current explanations of that rule.