Institutio Oratoria

Quintilian

Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria, Volume 1-4. Butler, Harold Edgeworth, translator. Cambridge, Mass; London: Harvard University Press, William Heinemann Ltd., 1920-1922.

The cretic is excellent, both at the beginning (e.g. quod precatus a diis immortalibus sum [*](pro Muren. i. 1. ) ) and at the close (e.g. in conspeclu populi Romani vomere postridie ). [*](Phil. II. xxv. 63. ) The last example makes it clear what a good effect is produced when it is preceded by an anapaest or by that form of paean which is regarded as best suited to the end of a sentence. But the cretic may be preceded by a cretic, as in servare quam plurinos. [*](pro Lig. xii. 38. ) It is better thus than when it is preceded by a chores, as in quis non turpe duceret? [*](Phil. II. xxv. 63. ) assuming that we treat the final short syllable as long. However, for the sake of argument, let us substitute duceres for duceret.

Here, however,

v7-9 p.569

we get the rest of which I spoke: [*](§51.) for we make a short pause between the last word and the last but one, thus slightly lengthening the final syllable of turpe; otherwise quis non turpe duceret? will give us a jerky rhythm resembling the end of an iambic trimeter. So, too, if you pronounce ore excipere liceret [*](Verr. v. xlv. 118. The licentious metre is Sotadean. ) without a pause, you will reproduce the rhythm of a licentious metre, whereas if triply punctuated and thus provided with what are practically three separate beginnings, the phrase is full of dignity.