FIRST STEPS IN LATIN SCANSION

QUANTITY, METER AND SCANSION

I.
QUANTITY
In order to read Latin Verse with due regard to the meter it is necessary to know the quantity, i.e., the length of, at least, some of the syllables. Each syllable in a word
must contain either: -- 1) A single vowel (a, e, i, o, u, y); or, 2) a diphthong (, , au, ai, eu, and ui), i.e., two vowels forming one sound.

A single vowel is either long or short.

A diphthong is always long. (With rare exceptions.)

A short vowel is marked thus: -- regre.

A long vowel or a diphthong is marked thus: --sts.

[N. B. i = j, as in iam, iung, etc., is a consonant.]
A. POSITION
The quantity of a vowel may sometimes (not always) be known by its position thus: -
Rule 1. A vowel before two consonants or x is long. (x is considered a double consonant; so is z, which is borrowed from the Greek alphabet.) Examples
st, amnt, prpter, rxit, diuv.
Exceptions to Rule 1: Mute followed by a Liquid: -- A vowel that is naturally short becomes doubtful when it stands before a mute consonant (b, c, d, f, g, p,
and t) followed by a mute consonant, either l or r. Thus in pater, the a is naturally short, but in patrem the a may be long or short as required by the meter.

||
x
Nat(um) an|t(e) ora pa|tris pat|rem qu(i) ob|truncat ad | aras

Rule 2. A diphthong is long. Example: -- prter.

[N.B. Each vowel must be separately sounded; if they combine in one sound they form a diphthong.]

Rule 3. -- A vowel before another vowel or h in the same word is short. Examples: -- capo, mus, trho.
Note to Rules 2 & 3. Qu; the u which always follows q must be disregarded. It is not sounded separately nor does it combine with the
following vowel to form a diphthong thus quod is one syllable. The same is often the case with a u following g or s thus sanguis,
suades, pinguis, where the u is sounded like a w.
B. WORDS IN COMBINATION (CONSONANT + CONSONANT)
Note to Rule 1. --- A Final syllable ending in a consonant is long when the next word begins with a consonant (except h) as the vowel then stands before
two consonants. Thus in mont, the e is naturally short; mont illum and mont hos, the e remains short; and, mont nos, the e
becomes long.
C. WORDS IN COMBINATION (VOWEL + VOWEL; ELISION)
Note to Rules 1-3. --- A Final syllable ending in a vowel or diphthong or m is elided (i.e. cut off) when the next word begins with a vowel or h.
Thus arm(a) amens; scir(e) aliquid; div(um) incedo; terr(am) inter; laud(em) hanc; hinc atqu(e) hinc; convuls(ae) undis;
cert(ae) occumbere.
II. HEXAMETER
A Hexameter line consists of six divisions or feet.

Each foot in the Hexameter contains two or three syllables (Dactyls and Spondees).

Each three-syllable foot contains one long and two short syllables. This is called a Dactyl, and is marked thus .

Each two-syllable foot contains two long syllables. This is called a Spondee, and is marked thus .
III. SCANSION
The division of a line into feet and the marking of the quantities is called Scanning or Scansion. In order to scan a Hexameter-1. Mark off the last five syllables to form the 5th and 6th feet thus:-- | | x. (The 5th foot is almost always a dactyl. When it isn't, that fact will be
pointed out or it will be obvious. Also, the 6th foot is either a Spondee or Trochee. Since it doesn't matter for the purposes of meter which one it
is, it may be marked with an x, which signifies that the syllable is either long or short.)
2. Mark the first syllable in the line long.
3. Then mark any of the remaining syllables known by Rules 1, 2 and 3 and Notes.
4. The quantity of the syllables still unknown can generally be ascertained by a little consideration, thus:-As each of the first four feet of the line must be either a Dactyl or a Spondee , it is plain that:-Observation i. Each foot must begin with a long syllable.
Observation ii. A short syllable cannot stand alone; therefore (a) a single syllable standing between two syllables known to be long must be long; (b) If one
syllable is known to be short, the syllable either directly before or after must be short. Thus in the word concedunt, the first and last syllables are
long by Rule 1, therefore the middle syllable containing the vowel e must be long by Obs. ii (a). And in capient, the e is long by Rule 1 and the i
is short by Rule 3, therefore the a is short by Obs. ii. (b).

1.

Vowels

A final
E "

= short except
= short "

I "

= long

"

O "
U "

= long
= long.

"

RULES FOR FINAL SYLLABLES

(These are only the most common examples. For complete lists refer to a Latin Grammar.)
Abl., Imperat. and most indeclinable words.
Abl. of 5th Decl. and Adverbs formed from
Adjectives (except bene and male).
nisi, quasi. N.B. mihi, tibi, sibi, ubi, ibi can
be long or short.
ego, modo, duo, scio, nescio, and a few others.

AS final
ES "

= long.
= long except

IS "
OS "
US "

= short
= long.
= short

"
"

2. Consonants

Nom. Sing. of miles, obses, and similar

words.
Dat. and Abl. Plural.
Gen. Sing and Nom. Voc. Acc. Pl. of 4th
Decl. and Nom. Sing of Fem.
words of the 3rd Decl. as virtus.

Words ending in a single consonant other than s are generally short.

In verbs, the terminations -at, -et, -it, -mus, -mur, are naturally short. -que = "and" is short.

With the aid of the above table and the preceding rules nearly any line can be scanned.
Observe that the case of Nouns and Adjectives can often be determined by the scansion especially words ending in -a.