A grammar of the Homeric dialect - Wilbourhall.org

348 METRE.
[375.
shown,* from those which prevail where short final vowels are
lengthened before an initial consonant. In those cases, as we
saw (
371), the rule is that the two words are closely connected,
usually in a set phrase or piece of epic commonplace. In the
examples now in question the words are often separated by the
punctuation and where this is not the case it will : usually be
found that there is a slight pause. In half of the instances the
words are separated by the penthemimeral caesura, which always
marks a pause in the rhythm. Further, this lengthening is
only found in the syllable with the ictus. The explanation,
therefore, must be sought either in the force of the ictus, or in
the pause (which necessarily adds something to the time of a
preceding syllable),
or in the combination of these two causes.
In some instances, however, a different account of the matter
has to be given
: in particular
(1) With ? existed in Homeric times : but the habit of treating
a preceding syllable as long by Position survived in the group
of phrases. Others explain this