76' A GLOSSARY OF LATER 



According to Herodian, the diphtliong EI had the sound of long I."' Sextus in- 

 forms us that EI was the symbol of a simple sound jieculiar to itself ;'^^^ that is, it was 

 a monophthong resembling no other vowel-sound in the language. Marius Victorinus 

 remarks, that, when E and I were united, the syllable sounded in a manner like 

 long V' 



In the eighth century the pronunciation of EI was identical with that of I. This 

 is clear from the orthographical rules of Chccroboscus and of Theognostus.'™ In the 

 lexicon of Suidas words beginning with an EI are to be sought, not under E, but 

 before H. 



In modern Greek EI does not differ from I. 



§ 54. 

 The Diphthong 01. 



Thucydides, in his description of the plague of Athens, says : '"' " In their affliction 

 they remembered this verse among other things, as was natural they should, — the 

 most aged persons saying that it had been sung of old : 



'HHEI AnPIAKO^ nOAEMO'S KAI AOIMOX 'AM' 'ATTSII, 

 A Dorian war shall come, and plague with it. 



Now there arose a dispute among men, some maintaining that the calamity mentioned 

 in the verse had not been called AOIMOX {plague), but AIMOX {famine). Naturally 

 enough, however, the opinion prevailed at this time that the word said was AOIMOS ; 

 for men adapted their recollections to what they then were suffering. But should 

 another Dorian war happen after this, and with it a famine {AIMOS), they will, I 

 think, as a matter of course, sing the verse accordingly." 



Those who are prepossessed with the idea that the modern Greek pronunciation is 

 the same as the ancient, regard this passage as decisive. They argue as follows : " The 



"' IIarius Victokin. p. 2458 I autem longum quodam modo sonat cum E et I junctum est, 



^"° ChceEOBOSC. p. 168 'A\(j)ei6s, TO *EI dl(p6oyyov Kara rrjv irapaSoa-iv, 177 Aiyeipos, Sia Sitpdoyyov ra Svo. 

 178 'A\e^dv8pfia, ^AvTwx^ta, Sia Ttjs EI 8i(j)d6yyov .... X'''P'-' '■"" ^'^ '''"'' TPIA, olov aKirpia, XeKanTpia .... 

 ToCra yap 8ia tov I ypd(peTai. 



'"^ TnuC. 2, 54 'Ek 8e ra KOKto, ola fiVoj, avep.vr]<T6r]aav Koi roCSe tov 'iitovs (^aaKOVTes ol Trpea-jiiiTepoi TraXai 

 a 6 e 0" ^ a £ , 



'HSEI AQPIAK02 HOAEMOS KAI A0IM02 *AM' 'AYTQI • 

 'EycVfT-o pev o5v i'pts Tois avBpinrois pr] AOIMON i>vo paa6 at iv Ta eWt ino Tav ndKaiSiv, oAXa AIMON, evUrjire 8e 

 eVl ToO Trapwrot ei/coVcor, AOIMON el p !] a 6 ai • oi yap avSpamoi. irpos a (iracrxov TrjV pvfjprjv iTTOwiiVTO. Hu 8e ye, 

 nipat, TTOTe aXXos iroKepos KaraXd/Sj AapiKoy TOvSe varepos, Ka\ ^vpfifi yeveaBai AIMON, koto to elxos ovTas a a ovt ai . 



