Aristotle, Rhetoric
J. H. Freese, Ed.

[6] At the present day one kind of paean alone is employed, at the beginning as well as at the end;¹ the end, however, ought to differ from the beginning. Now there are two kinds of paeans, opposed to each other. The one is appropriate at the beginning, where in fact it is used. It begins with a long syllable and ends with three short: “ Δα¯λο˘γε˘νε˘ς εἴτε Λυ˘κι˘αν, （“O Delos-born, or it may be Lycia”）,

” and “ Χρυ¯σε˘ο˘κό˘μα¯ Ἕ˘κα˘τε˘ παῖ Διό˘ς （“Golden-haired far-darter, son of Zeus”）.

” The other on the contrary begins with three short syllables and ends with one long one: “ με˘τὰ˘ δε˘ γᾶν ὕ˘δα˘τά˘ τ᾽ ὠκε˘α˘νὸν ἠφά˘νι˘σε˘νύξ² （“after earth and waters, night obscured ocean”）.

” This is a suitable ending, for the short syllable, being incomplete, mutilates the cadence. But the period should be broken off by a long syllable and
the end should be clearly marked, not by the scribe nor by a punctuation mark,³ but by the rhythm itself.