Abstract

This paper aims to collect and discuss the evidence for muta cum liquida in the fragments of Epicharmus. Such an analysis is important on multiple levels. For a start, it shows that in Epicharmean comedy, unlike in Attic comedy, the heterosyllabic and the tautosyllabic treatments alternate on the basis of metrical convenience. Further, by comparing the treatment of muta cum liquida with a number of other linguistic features of Epicharmus’ fragments, it can be demonstrated that Epicharmus’ language is indeed a Kunstsprache, despite recent attempts at arguing the opposite.