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Abstract Dramatic meter in Greek comes in two types, recitative for the actors, and lyric for the chorus. Prosodically it is based on complex patterns of heavy and light (or long and short) syllables, a thoroughly quantitative meter lacking in stress, both in tragedy and in comedy. Metrics is the study of poetic rhythm. In Ancient Greek meter, rhythm is defined quantitatively rather than in terms of stress; for this reason, syllable weight, the opposition between long (heavy) and short (light) syllables, is the central feature in the system.…