NSBHS 12 Latin Continuers 2015

Scansion notes Dactyllic Hexameter

t pns, | n t (e) mn | s || dms | ncln | t r | cmbt.

n(um) | r: || d | sst m | nm cm | mttr | Tecrs.
From the 2012 HSC:

N.B.

5th foot = ALWAYS a dactyl (except in Juvenal!)

6th foot = ALWAYS either a trochee ( long, short: - u) or spondee ( long long: - -); often marked

long - and x (anceps)

Vowel before a double-consonant = long (by position) except -cr, -pr and -tr
Some vowels are long by nature; think back to CLC book I = in tablin. This can help you when

you need to determine the case of a word!

Caesura in 3rd foot, except when it isnt!
Final vowel + m followed by initial vowel or h + vowel of next word = elision
Final vowel + initial vowel = elision
Feet 1-4 can be variations of spondee/dactyls ( dactyl = long short short - - u)
1st vowel of line always long, given options as mentioned above
Be wary of dipthongs: these are long by nature, , au, ei, eu, oe, and ui. Do not count these as

separate quantities just as one long - quantity.

o Occasionally, with some words, what looks like a dipthong will be counted separately. E.g. diei (u u). Occasionally this can be marked with a diaeresis (the same symbol as the German umlaut)
over the vowel, e.g.
_ u
u | _

_ |_

| _

_ |_

u| _

aere trabes, foribus cardo stridebat anis

The letter x (and sometimes z) counts as two consonants for the purposes of scansion.
The digraphs (two-letter combinations) ch, ph, th, qu and sometimes gu and su count as single
consonants.

There are always SIX feet in dactylic hexameter

You cant scan prose