in Ancient Poetry, a denomination given to several kinds of verse, from Alceus, 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 | co|dem | cogimur, | omnium Versa|tur ur|na | seriu|s, | ocuiu, Sors exi|tura.

The second kind consists of two dactyles and two trochees; as,

Exi|tum impos|tura | cymbar.

Besides these two, which are called dactylic Alcaics, there is another, simply styled Alcaic, consisting of an epitrite, a choriambus, another choriambus, and a bacchius. The following is of this species:

Cur timet flaviun Tiberim | tangere, cur | olivum?

ALCAIC Ode, a kind of manly ode, composed of several strophes, each consisting of four verses; the first two of which are always alcaics of the first kind; the third verse is a dimeter hypercatalectic, or consisting of four feet and a long syllable; and the fourth verse is an alcaic of the second kind. The following strope is of this species, which Horace calls minaces Alcai camaene.

Non possidentem multa vocaveris Recte beatum; rectius occupat Nomen beati, qui deorum Maneribus sapienter nti, &c.