Od. 6, 79: scansion doubt

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huilen
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Od. 6, 79: scansion doubt

Post by huilen »

Could some one help me to scan this verse?
δῶκεν δὲ χρυσέηι ἐν ληκύθωι ὑγρὸν ἔλαιον
Here is my best try:
δω̄κε̄ν | δε̄ χρῠσε̆|η̄ι || ε̄ν | λη̄κῡ|θω̄ι ῡγ|ρο̄ν ε̄|λαῑο̄ν
There is only one dactyl, is it right?

S&H says that there is a synizesis in χρυσέῃ. But why is the the first syllable of ἔλαιον long (if it is)?.

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Paul Derouda
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Re: Od. 6, 79: scansion doubt

Post by Paul Derouda »

1 δῶκεν |2 δε χρῡ|3 σέηι || εν |4 ληκύθωι |5 ὑγρὸν ε|6 λαιον

This is how I take it; υ is long in χρῡ́σεος and short in λήκυθος. -σέηι is just one long syllable, because of synizesis. ωι is short in ληκύθωι, because of correption - long vowels are regularly shortened at the end of the word, if the next word starts with a vowel.

Qimmik
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Re: Od. 6, 79: scansion doubt

Post by Qimmik »

δῶκεν δὲ χρυσέηι ἐν ληκύθωι ὑγρὸν ἔλαιον
_ _ | _ _ | _ / _ | _ v v | _ v v | _ x

χρυ- is long

-έηι is one long syllable (synezesis)

θωι is short (long syllable treated as short before a vowel -- "epic correption")

huilen
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Re: Od. 6, 79: scansion doubt

Post by huilen »

υ is long in χρῡ́σεος
χρυ- is long
Oh, that is what was confusing me. I understand synezesis and epic correption, but the ῡ always mess me up. Thanks.

Qimmik
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Re: Od. 6, 79: scansion doubt

Post by Qimmik »

For the quantity of the -υ- I remember this couplet from Mimnermus:

τίς δὲ βίος, τί δὲ τερπνὸν ἄτερ χρυσῆς Ἀφροδίτης;
τεθναίην, ὅτε μοι μηκέτι ταῦτα μέλοι,

huilen
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Re: Od. 6, 79: scansion doubt

Post by huilen »

:) I like it.

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Paul Derouda
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Re: Od. 6, 79: scansion doubt

Post by Paul Derouda »

Nice one indeed! Btw, if you have trouble making this scan, note that it's an Elegiac couplet - the first verse is a hexameter, the second a pentameter. :)

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Re: Od. 6, 79: scansion doubt

Post by Qimmik »

If Mimnermus is unfamiliar, you might want to read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimnermus

huilen
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Re: Od. 6, 79: scansion doubt

Post by huilen »

the second a pentameter. :)
Thanks for clarifying, it was sounding well to my ear beyond the scansion, but I was just pulling my hair out trying to make it an hexameter :lol:
If Mimnermus is unfamiliar, you might want to read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimnermus
I continued with the rest of the poem in wikipedia and it was a nice surprise to see that I have already known almost all the words from Homer. And I like it very much, may be it would be a great option to read after Homer.

Qimmik
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Re: Od. 6, 79: scansion doubt

Post by Qimmik »

There's not much of Mimnermus left--just one or two longer fragments and a number of shorter ones. But It would be worthwhile for everyone interested in Homer and archaic Greece to read through the main fragments of the lyric, elegiac and iambic poets in Campbell's book:

This book collects most of the important fragments, with helpful notes:

http://www.amazon.com/Greek-Lyric-Poetr ... ric+poetry

There isn't much of this, since for the most part, it's entirely fragmentary, with a few complete poems, and it shouldn't take long to work through the book. Campbell is also responsible for the new Loeb collection, in multiple volumes.

The vocabulary of Greek elegy is essentially the vocabulary of the Homeric poems--and even Tyrtaeus, the Spartan poet, composed elegies in Ionic.

huilen
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Re: Od. 6, 79: scansion doubt

Post by huilen »

Thanks for sharing that, in amazon people say that notes are maybe a little hard for the beginner, but I would like to read it when I feel more confortable with Homer.

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