Martialis I.10 (Metric)

[Gonzalo]

Hi!

I am getting a little trouble with the meter in this epigram (Epigrammaton liber I.10):

Petit Gemellus nūptias Marōnillæ
et cupit et instat et precātur et dōnat.
Adeōne pulchra est? Immō fœdius nīl est.
Quid ergō in illā petitur et placet? Tussit.

Here it's my "scansion" (- syllaba longa, v syllaba breuis):

Petit Gemellus nūptiās Marōnillæ
v-|v-|--|v-|v-|--
et cupit^et^instat^et precātur^et dōnat.
-vv|v-|v-|v-|v-|--
Adeōne pulchra (e)st? Immō fœdius nīl est.
vv-|v-|--|--|v-|--
Quid^erg(ō) in^illā petitur^et placet? Tussit.
v-|v-|-vv|v-|v-|--

I just cannot figure out what the meter is being used nor if I have supposed right the ellision (pulchra (e)st and erg(ō) in) and contraction of syllables (cupi.e.tins.tat and qui.derg´i.nillā.petitu.ret, amongst others). Is long the -o- in Maronilla? Does anyone know what is the correct scansion of this epigram (if I'm wholly wrong) and what the meter is?

Many thanks in advance,
gonzalo

[Alatius]

It's a limping iambic trimeter (in Latin "senarius claudus"), basically an iambic trimeter where the last iamb has been replaced with a trochee. The last syllable of immo should be short, otherwise your scanning seems all correct. The basic structure is:
x - u - x - u - u - - x
where x can stand for either a - or u . Also, a - can be replaced with uu.

[Gonzalo]

It's a limping iambic trimeter (in Latin "senarius claudus"), basically an iambic trimeter where the last iamb has been replaced with a trochee. The last syllable of immo should be short, otherwise your scanning seems all correct. The basic structure is:
x - u - x - u - u - - x
where x can stand for either a - or u . Also, a - can be replaced with uu.

Grates, Alati!