ALCAICS, in ancient poetry, a denomination given to several kinds of verse, from Alcæus their inventor.
The first kind consists of five feet, viz. a spondee, or iambic; an iambic; a long syllable; a dactyle; another dactyle: such is the following verse of Horace,
Omnes | eo | dem cogimur, | omnium
Verſatur ur | nū | ſerius | ocyus |
Sors exitura.
The second kind consists of two dactyles and two trochees: as,
Exiliū | impoſtura | cymbæ.
Besides these two, which are called dactylic Aleatics, there is another styled simply Aleatic; consisting of an epitrite; a coriambus; another coriambus; and a bacchius: the following is of this species,
Cur timet ſapient Tiberim tanſere, cur | olivum?