The Clausula in Atnniiaiuis Marcellitms. 197 



clausulae is subordinated to observance of accentual rhythm. A clau- 

 sula quantitatively imperfect is now and then (often, it is to be 

 presumed, unconsciously) admitted by Ammianus because it satis- 

 fies the accentual requirements, which are more important ; and 

 such clausulae are more frequent in the body of the sentence than 

 at its end, because a cadence which precedes a slight pause is 

 much less deeply impressed on the ear than one which comes 

 before a full stop, and any quantitative fault that it may have is 

 therefore less obvious not only to the reader but to the writer 

 as well. 



ORIGIN OF THE ACCENTUAL CLAUSULA. 



In our study of the nature of Ammianus' clausulae we have de- 

 termined that his rhythm is based on the recurrence of four ac- 

 centual cadences : 



I r\j r\j rv P^ r\j 

 II rO r\j r\j r^ r^^ rsj 



III 1^ f\j rsj r^ r'^ r^ rsj 



IV (^r\jr^^rsjr\jr^r\jr\j 



Though the rhythm in these cadences is primarily accentual it is 

 not purely accentual, for in the first and second unstressed syllables 

 quantity by position plays a certain part in the form of a tendency 

 to shorten the one and lengthen the other. 



It is beyond dispute that these clausulae derive their origin 

 from corresponding quantitative forms. The metrical prototypes, 

 in the establishment of which the researches of Meyer and Zielinski 

 have featured most prominently, are 



1 ^ ^- 



2 -^ ^ 



3 -^ — - 



4 '- ^ - 



The clausula 4 is rare: it is chiefly used, like its accentual deri- 

 vative, as a means of handling long words, and not all writers 

 employ it. The other three, however, are extremely frequent, and 

 show a steady increase in popularity. Without taking into con- 

 sideration the modifications of these forms produced by substitution 

 and resolution we find that in entire purity they constitute nearly 

 45 per cent of Cicero's sentence-endings and 69 per cent of Cyprian's 

 clausulae. Ziehnski would interpret all of Cicero's clausulae in terms 

 of these cretic-trochaic forms. However it may be with that theory 

 (for which I do not hold a brief), it cannot be denied that Cyprian's 



Traxs. Coxx. Acad.. Vol. XVI. 13 Oct., 1910. 



