I had troubles with the following iambic pentameters, could you help me with the scanning?
μενουσιν ελθειν, οι δ’ ετεων περιτροπας.
u-/u-/–/…
I think that I have problems with the fourth foot.
πεμπει μελαινης Αιδης υπο χθονος.
–/u-/…
Should I assume that there is a dieresis on Αιδης? Then I would have:
–/u-/–/u-/u-/u-/
And I would appreciate if you give me some help with these other two verses which I couldn’t make sense with the rest of the poem:
νεωτα δ’ ουδεις οστις ου δοκει βροτων
πλουτωι τε καγαθοισιν ιξεσθαι φιλος.
I translated: “Next year, there is no man that does not seem to become friend of the rich and the good men”, but I really don’t understand what it means.
By the way, I’m using Campbell’s Greek Lyric Poetry. Great book, thanks Qimmik for the recommendation!
First off, two things:
(1) These are not iambic pentameters but iambic trimeters, an iambic metron being ×—⏑— (× being “anceps,” either short or long). I expect you knew that.
(2)The way to read trimeters is not to do it foot by foot but to aim for the caesura in the 3rd foot, or failing that in the 4th). The line will break either at ×—⏑—×| or at ×—⏑—×—⏑|, and the second part of the line then takes off from a long. Word-end between 3rd and 4th feet is avoided: the verse falls into two unequal parts.
μενουσιν ελθειν | then **—**⏑—×—⏑—
πεμπει μελαινης | …
νεωτα δ’ ουδεις | …
πλουτωι τε καγαθοισιν | this one with 4th-foot caesura, so then **—**×—⏑—
μενουσιν ελθειν | οι δ’ ετεων περιτροπας
The εων of ετεων coalesces into a single long syllable.
πλουτωι τε καγαθοισιν ιξεσθαι φιλος
(There’s) no-one of mortals who doesn’t think that next year he’ll arrive (i.e. come to be) a friend to wealth and good things.
