Institutio Oratoria

Andit may also, in addition to the anapaest and cretic, be preceded by the iambus, which is a syllable less in length than both of them, thus making one short syllable precede three long. But it is also perfectly correct to place a spondee before an iambus, as in armis fui, or it may be preceded by a bacchius instead of a spondee, e.g. in armis fui, [*](pro Lig. iii. 9. I was in arms. ) thereby making the last foot a dochmiac.

From this it follows that the molossus also is adapted for use in the conclusion provided that it be preceded by a short syllable, though it does not matter to what foot the latter belongs: e.g. illud scimus, ubicunque sunt, esse pro nobis.

The effect of the spondee is less weighty, if it be preceded by a palimbacchius and pyrrhic, as in iudicii Iuniani. [*]( The text is clearly corrupt as it stands, since the first syllable of Iuniani is long. Further, if iudici be read with the best texts of Cicero, there is no pyrrhic (u u) in the phrase, which is identical in rhythm with ausus est confiteri, praised just above. If iudicii is read the final spondee might be said to be preceded by a pyrrhic and a palimbacchius (i. e. iud/ĭcĭ/ī Iūnĭ/ānī ). The fact that the termination of both words is the same would account for the disappearance of one of them. The corruption may easily lie deeper still. But as the words quoted come from an actual speech of Cicero, the error is not likely to lie in the quotation, pro Cluent. i. 1. ) Still worse is the rhythm when the spondee is preceded by a paean, as in Brute, dubitavi, [*](Or. i. I. I hesitated, Brutus. ) although this phrase may, if we prefer, be regarded as consisting

Even the dactyl ought not to precede a final spondee, since we condemn verse-endings at the period's close. The bacchius is employed at the conclusion, sometimes in conjunction with itself as in venenum timerss [*](pro Cael. xiv. 33. That you should fear poison. ) while it is also effective when a choreus and spondee are placed before it as in ut venenum timeres. Its opposite, the palimbacchius, is also employed as a conclusion (unless, of course, we insist that the last syllable of a sentence is always long), and is best preceded by a molossus, as in civis Romanus sum, [*](Verr. v. lxii. 162. ) or by a bacchius, as in quod hie potest, nos possemus. [*](pro Lig. iv. 10. )