small scansion question in Ovid M.9.487

Latin Learning Latin
1 
'O ego, si liceat mutato nomine iungi,
 - · · | -  · ·|-  -|- -| - · ·| -  -

After Michael trained me so thoroughly (and patiently) in scanning the meter in Ovid, I’ve read/translated maybe 2000+ lines as I continue to work my way through all of the Metamorphoses, and have not encountered a single line I couldn’t scan properly, but tonight I ran into this line shown above.

I’m assuming since the “O” is exclamatory (or perhaps because it begins the line), it is getting a reprieve from being elided before “ego”? I assume it would be read aloud with the time duration it deserves, followed by the rest of the line?

Thanks

Dave S

2

Hi Dave, yes that’s right. This is a case of exclamatory hiatus. Check out lecture 2 here (from 48:20 onwards) covering this very case:

https://antigonejournal.com/2021/05/introduction-greek-latin-metre/

I highly recommend you, and everyone else, watching the entire lecture course: it’s by someone who is not only an expert in Latin poetry but I understand won all four medals (for Latin verse composition, Latin prose composition, Greek verse composition and Greek prose composition) in the same year as a student at Cambridge (a rare feat I’m told). I now refer people on questions of metre to this course: it’s a fantastic resource.

Cheers, Chad

3

Wow, thanks, Chad! I checked it out… looks like a wonderful resource!

4

Hi Chad,

Thanks for pointing us to those lectures! I particularly liked the opening where he is perusing a volume of “Cambridge Cats”!
Also, I hope you’re enjoying the 4th Test. I finally got to see the first few overs before and after the rain delay yesterday. I’m trying to watch it on BT Sports 1 and the stream tends to be a bit choppy.