Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar for Schools and Colleges
J. B. Greenough, G. L. Kittredge, A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, Ed.

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[*] 620. The most common form of Trochaic verse is the Tetrameter Catalectic ( Septēnārius ), consisting of four dipodies, the last of which lacks a syllable. There is regularly diæresis after the fourth foot:—

In musical notation:— ád tē advĕ´nĭō, spém, sălū´tem, || consĭlĭum, aúxĭlĭum éxpĕtē´ns.

—Ter. And. 319.

In English verse:—

Téll me nót in moúrnful númbers || lífe is bút an émpty dreám.

1. —Longfellow.

[*] a. In the stricter form of the Septenarius substitutions are allowed only in the even feet, but in comedy the tribrach [acutebreve] ˘ ˘, or an irrational spondee [acutemacr] >, cyclic dactyl [acutemacr] ˘˘, or apparent anapæst [acutebreve] ˘ >, may be substituted for any of the first six feet; a tribrach for the seventh:—

1. <*>tĭdem hăbét pĕtă|sum ác vestī´tum: || támcōnsĭ´mĭlist | átque ĕgŏ´.
2. sū´ră, pē´s, stă|tū´ră, tō´nsŭs, || ŏ´cŭlī, nā´sum, | vél lăbră´,
3. mā´lae, méntum, | bárbă, cóllus; || tō´tus! quíd ver|bī´s ŏpúst?
4. sī´ tergúm cĭ|cā´trīcō´sum, || nihíl hōc sĭ´mĭlist | sĭ´mĭlĭŭ´s.
—Pl. Am. 443-446.

The metrical scheme of these four verses is as follows:—

[*] b. The Trochaic Tetrameter Acatalectic ( Octōnārius ), consisting of four complete dipodies, occurs in the lyrical parts of comedy.

Substitutions as in the Septenarius are allowed except in the last foot.

[*] c. Some other forms of trochaic verse are found in the lyric poets, in eombination with other feet, either as whole lines or parts of lines:—

1. nō´n ĕbúr nè|que aúrĕŭ´m. [Dimeter Catalectic.]
2. mĕā´ rĕnī´|dĕt ín dŏmō´ | lăcū´nă´r. [Iambic Trimeter Catalectic.]
3. —Hor Od. 2.18.