ALCAICS, in Ancient Poetry, a name given to several kinds of verse, from Alcaeus, their reputed inventor. The first kind consists of five feet, viz., a spondee or iambic, an iambic, a long syllable, and two dactyles; the second of two dactyles and two trochees. Besides these, which are called dactylic Alcaics, there is another, simply styled Alcaic, consisting of an epitrite, two choriambi, and a bacchius; thus— Cur timet fla | vum Tiberim | tangere, cur ∣ olivum?

The Alcaic ode is composed of several strophes, each consisting of four verses; the first two of which are always alcaïcs of the first kind; the third verse is an iambic diameter hypercatalectic, consisting of four feet and a long syllable; and the fourth verse is an alcaïc of the second kind. The following strophe is of this species, which Horace calls “Alcoei minaces camenae" — Non possidentem multa vocaveris Recte beatum; rectius occupat Nomen beati, qui deorum Muneribus sapienter uti.