Ancient Poetry, a name given to several kinds of verse, from Alceus, their alleged inventor.

The first kind consists of five feet, viz. a spondee or iambic, a long syllable, a dactyle, another dactyle. Such are the following lines of Horace:

\[ \text{Omne | sedem | cognovit, | omnibus} \\ \text{Versa | tur urbs | sedem, | oculis,} \\ \text{Sore | exitura.} \]

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

\[ \text{Exilium importitura | cyclus.} \]

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:

\[ \text{Cur timet falsum Tiberiem | tangere, cur | olivum?} \]

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 an iambic dimeter hypercatalectic, or consisting of four feet and a long syllable; and the fourth verse is an alcaic of the second kind. The following strophe is of this species, which Horace calls "minaces Alcaic camenae."

\[ \text{Non possidentem multa voceritis} \\ \text{Erecte beatum; rectius occupat} \\ \text{Nomen beati, qui doceunt} \\ \text{Muneribus supellectis uti, &c.} \]