IAMBIC, in ancient poetry, a sort of verse, so called from its consisting either wholly, or in great part, of iambus's. See IAMBUS.
Ruddiman makes two kinds of iambic, viz. dimeter and trimeter; the former containing four feet, and the latter six. And as to the variety of their feet, they consist wholly of iambus's, as in the two following verses of Horace:
1 2 3 4 5 6
Dim. Inar|fit æ|stuo|fuit|
Trim. Suis|et i|psa Ro|ma vi|ribus|ruit.
Or, a dactylus, spondeus, anapestus, and sometimes tribrachys, obtain in the odd places; and the tribrachys also in the even places, excepting the last.—Examples of all which may be seen in Horace; as,
Dimeter.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Canidi|a tra|flavit|daper|
Vide|re prope|rantes domum|
Trimeter.
Quo quod scelesti rui|tis|aut|cur dexteris.
Prius|que co|lum|fides in|ferius|maris.
Ahit|bus a|que can|bus homi|cid? He|storem.
Pavidum|que lepro| aut ad|venam|laqueo|gruem.