Scansion

Examples

ast ego, quae divum incedo regina Iovisque (line 46)

The Process

STEP 1 – Make diphthongs long

 1 diphthong - ae

ast ego, quae divum incedo regina Iovisque

STEP 2 – Account for elisions and make them long

 1 elision - -um / i
 a / I is NOT an elision because the I functions as a j

ast ego, quae divum incedo regina Iovisque

STEP 3 – Make the first syllable of the verse long

 a becomes long

ast ego, quae divum incedo regina Iovisque

STEP 4 – Make vowels before double consonants long

 sq is double, so i is long

ast ego, quae divum incedo regina Iovisque

STEP 5 – Complete the second foot with two syllables

 i is already marked
 the que now finishes off the trochee [foot 6 complete]
X
ast ego, quae divum incedo regina Iovisque

STEP 6 – Logically fill in blank spaces

1. Only one vowel between ae and um – i must be long
2. 12 unused syllables with 5 feet to go – must be 2 dactyls and 3 spondee
a. (5 x 2, if all spondees, would only account for 10 syllables)
b. (5 x 3, if all dactyls, would need 15 syllables)
3. ego - 2 spaces to complete dactyl [foot 1 complete]
4. quae di now rectified as foot [foot 2 complete]
5. 5th foot usually dactyl – going backwards o (short), a (short), i (long) [foot 5 complete]
6. e long to finish spondee [foot 3 complete]
7. o and e long to make spondee [foot 4 complete]
8. (3) (4) (1) (6) (7) (5)
ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ X
ast ego, quae divum incedo regina Iovisque
Examples

(line 225)

ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ X
litoraque et latos populos , sic vertice caeli

(line 262)

ᴗᴗ ᴗ ᴗ X
longius et volens fatorum arcana movebo

(line 298)

ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ X
ut terrae utque novae pateant Karthaginis arces

(line 314)

 e’s in “sese” long by nature

ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ ᴗᴗ X
Cui mater media sese tulit obvia silva

(line 346)

 Note that a period at the end of a sentence does NOT affect scansion at all

ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ ᴗ X
ominibus . Sed regna Tyri germanus habebat

(line 375)

 Diphthongs, elisions, and double consonants in this line really force the feet to be more easily resolved

ᴗ ᴗ X
Nos Troia antiqua , si vestras forte per aures