Ἀτρέα
Atreus
Translated by Jennifer Benedict27 Mar 2002Vetting: high6 revisions
Translation
[*)Atre/a ] and generally those accusatives from [nouns] ending in the combination -eus they draw out, but those which have the eu preceded by a vowel they contract: [such as] *Xoa= and *Mhlia= and *Sounia= . But Ionic [writers] contract the former1, saying *)Atre/a and *phle/a short; therefore [it is] not necessary to lengthen [the syllables] in tragedies, unless the meter necessitates it. And the [accusatives] from [words ending] in -ês [are treated] similarly. For shortening [is an] Ionic [phenomenon].2 Aristophanes in Farmers [writes]: "slobs and Megacleses [*Megakle/as ] and softies."3