Subproject 4.3.: The Metric of Plautin

project manager: Prof. Dr. M. Deufert
Department of Classical Philology and Comparative Studies, University of Leipzig

The metre of Plautus leaves one quite mystified with respect to many of its deeper aspects and details. The scientific work of the 19th and early 20th century has revealed and historically explained a number of important rules (for instance Bentley-Luchs Law; Ritschl Law; Hermann-Lachmann Law;) as well as prosodic peculiarities and prosodic or metrical licences (iambic shortening; Skutsch's Apokope, different types of hiatus ...). But up to now the exact range of these laws and licences remains a contentious matter. Additionally, it is still under dispute whether the significantly high rate of coincidences between 'Iktus' and 'Akzent' is intended by the poet or just the accidental outcome of other rhythmical features. Taking into account these several open questions it is hardly surprising, that current editions show a huge amount of discrepancy in their dealing with Plautine verses. A computer based empirical study of the metrical structure of all verses (ca. 10.000; Cantica will be excluded) seems to be an appropriate and useful step towards an unbiased answer to these open questions. For every single verse there will have to be taken into account its metrical structure, the prosody of its words as well as variants and conjectures. In the end this should serve as a basis for making reliable, statistical claim concerning the central problems of Plautins poetry. There has been no other project comparable to this one so far. Not only the results but also the developed software should therefore give an original input to the research society and motivate and enable further investigations in the same spirit.