ἑξάμετρος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From ἑξᾰ- (hexa-, “six”) +‎ μέτρον (métron, “meter”) +‎ -ος (-os).

Pronunciation

 

Adjective

ἑξᾰ́μετρος • (hexámetros) m, f (neuter ἑξᾰ́μετρον); second declension

(Attic, Ionic, Koine)
  1. Expressed in dactylic hexameter and the Epic dialect: hexametric
    • 484 BCE – 425 BCE, Herodotus, 7 220.3
      ταῦτα δέ σφι ἐν ἔπεσι ἑξαμέτροισι χρᾷ λέγοντα ὧδε.
      ὑμῖν δ᾽, ὦ Σπάρτης οἰκήτορες εὐρυχόροιο
      taûta dé sphi en épesi hexamétroisi khrâi légonta hôde.
      humîn d᾽, ô Spártēs oikḗtores eurukhóroio
      [The Pythia] uttered this to them in hexametric verses, and it went as follows:
      You, inhabitants of spacious Sparta […]
    • 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Laws 810d
      λέγω μὴν ὅτι ποιηταί τε ἡμῖν εἰσίν τινες ἐπῶν ἑξαμέτρων πάμπολλοι καὶ τριμέτρων καὶ πάντων δὴ τῶν λεγομένων μέτρων
      légō mḕn hóti poiētaí te hēmîn eisín tines epôn hexamétrōn pámpolloi kaì trimétrōn kaì pántōn dḕ tôn legoménōn métrōn
      I do say that we have very many poets of hexametric and trimetric verse and of all meters that are spoken of […]
    • 350 BCE – 280 BCE, Demetrius of Phalerum, On Style 1

Usage notes

Most often in the phrase ἔπεᾰ (épea) or ἔπη ἐξᾰ́μετρᾰ (épē exámetra, “hexametric verse”).

Declension

Derived terms

  • ἑξᾰ́μετρᾰ (hexámetra)

References

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