- 6°. Criticism[1] of poetical productions, which is the noblest part of grammatic art.
2. On Reading (ἀνάγνωσις).
Reading is the rendering of poetic or prose productions without stumbling or hesitancy. It must be done with due regard to expression, prosody, and pauses. Through the expression[2] we learn the merit (ἀρετή) of the piece; from the prosody, the art of the reader; and from the pauses, the meaning intended to be conveyed. In this way we read tragedy heroically, comedy conversationally, elegiacs thrillingly, epics sustainedly, lyric poetry musically, and dirges softly and plaintively. Any reading done without due observance of these rules degrades the merits of the poets and makes the habits of readers ridiculous.
3. On Tone (τόνος).
Tone[3] is the resonance of a voice endowed with harmony. It is heightened in the acute, balanced in the grave, and broken in the circumflex.
There are three punctuation marks: the full stop, the semicolon, and the comma.[5] The full stop denotes that the sense is complete; the semicolon is a sign of where to take breath; the comma shows that the sense is not yet complete, but that something further must be added.
5. Wherein does the full stop differ from the comma?
(τίνι διαφέρει στιγμὴ ὑποστιγμῆς;)
[6] In time. At the full stop the pause is long, at the comma, very short.
- ↑ Such Criticism apparently did not include a discussion of the poetical merits of a piece (κρίνει δὲ τὰ ποιήματα οὐχ ὅτι καλά ἐστιν ἢ κακά· ποιητοῦ γὰρ ἂν εἴη τὸ τοιοῦτον.)
- ↑ Expression (ὑπόκρισις) is defined as being equivalent to μίμησις or Imitation.
- ↑ Tone is what we usually call accent. The Latin accentus, however, formed in imitation of the Greek προσῳδία, was undoubtedly intended to have the same width of meaning as the latter. Vid. Schmidt, Beiträge, pp. 190 sqq.
- ↑ On this whole question, vid. Schmidt, Beiträge, pp. 506-570.
- ↑ These terms are hardly accurate; the sequel explains their meaning.
- ↑ It will be seen that in practice Dionysios distinguishes only two punctuation marks, the στιγμὴ μέση (semicolon) being really not one at all.
