186 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



scholar and statesman, has published several successful specimens of 

 accented hexameters. In a dramatic poem entitled ^poa-vvr], founded 

 on the tragic episode of Gardiki, in the reign of Ali Pacha of lannina, 

 the description of the bloody transaction is given by the priest Mele- 

 tios of Gardiki, in accented hexameters, commencing as follows : — 



'Hroi/ r]jiepa XafiTrpd, dv6o(f)6pos Tuv eapos Kopt] 

 'PoBocrTepp.€v 17 avyrj els Tovs \6(f)ovs yekcoaa i(pdvrj 

 Kat TO TapbUi aKopr] dneaeie p.6\is tov vttvov, k.t.\. 



The same author translated the first book of the Odyssey into accented 

 hexameters. I give the first two lines of the original, and then the 

 corresponding two lines of the translation, for the purpose of comparing 

 both the ancient and modern rhythms and the ancient and modern 

 language, begging you to remember that Homer lived three thousand 

 years ago, and that Eangabes is still a young man. 



Original. 

 "Avbpa pov evvene, Movaa, irokvTponov os paka ttoXXo, 

 TiXayxdrj eVel Tpol-qs Upov TrroXiedpov errepaev. 



Translation. 

 1'aXXe TOV avbpa, Bed, tov TroXvTponov, ocrrty toctovtovs 

 ToTTOVS 8iTJ\6e, ■7T0p6r]<Tas Tr^s Tpoias TrjV evbo^ov trokiv. 



Another instructor in the University, Theodorus G. Orphanides, Pro- 

 fessor of Botany, but cultivating the flowers of poetry as well as those 

 of natural science, encouraged by the success of his colleague, has tried 

 his hand upon accentual hexameters, and obtained the prize in the 

 poetical competition of 1855 for a poem in this measure, entitled, 'Anna 

 and Phloros, or the Tower of Petra.' In his Preface to this poem he 

 says : — 



" ' This measure has been until very recently neglected or despised 

 by most of our modern poets. And although many scholars both 

 before and after the Revolution made hexameters, their verses never- 

 theless — an imitation seldom beautiful of the Homeric lines — ap- 

 peared unharmonious to the most delicate ears, on account of the loss 

 of our ancient prosody. Grammatically considered, they were perhaps 

 wonderful ; with reference to harmony they were anything but verses. 



" ' This immortal measure awaited a new artist to acquire fresh life 

 without losing anything of its ancient dignity, and that its harmony 

 might be felt by the ear of the modern Greek, who now only accents 

 the words, and does not mark the long or short syllables. Mr. Alex- 



