Lesson 14.2: Dactylic Hexameter -- Syllable Length

We can determine whether a syllable is long or short by doing the following:

1. Check whether a vowel or diphthong is long or short.
• ε and ο are always short.
• η and ⍵ are always long.
• α, ι, and υ can be either short or long.
• Diphthongs are generally long.
• αι, ει, οι, αυ, ευ, ου, υι
2. Check whether a syllable is open or closed.
• A syllable is open if it ends with a vowel. Open syllables can be long or short depending on the vowel or diphthong.
• A syllable is closed if it ends with a consonant. Closed syllables are always long, even if the vowel is short. Generally, a short vowel will be followed by two consonants. The consonants do not have to appear in the same word.

There are other rules and exceptions that will be learned later when appropriate.