METONIC CYCLE. 391 METRE. 19 solar years are nearly ocjual to 235 lunations. their average values being (J!i;ilt.li8835 and 6939.li0249 days respectively. As the Greek States reckoned by lunar months, and on this reckoning depended the recurrence of many re- ligious festivals, while on the other hand certain other rites were connecteil with the recurrence of the seasons, there was a constant effort to bring the solar year (365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 46 seconds) into accord with the period of twelve lunar months (354 days, 8 hours, 48 minutes, 33. U seconds) . Before Meton the favorite cycle was the Oetaeteris (or, as it was sometimes called, Enneateris) , of eight years with three intercalary months of 30 days. The inaccuracy thus arising was removed by Jleton, who in the period of 19 vears inserted 7 intercalary months, of which 5 had 30 and 2 had 29 davs. They were inserted in the 3d. Gth, 8th, 11th. 14th. "l7th. and 19th years. The slight inaccuracy that remained was reduced by C'allippus about a century later, by combining four Metonic periods into a 'great year' of 76 calendar years, and omitting one day in the intercalation, obtaining 27,759 days. The details of Meton's cycle are not very clear, and there is considerable difference of opinion among scholars in regard to them. I'nger i)laces the beginning of Meton's cycle on .July 16th. B.C. 432; Oppert on July 28th, B.C. 433. It is agreed that the I'allippie cycle began .June 29th, B.C. 330. The Attic calendar, as laid down by Unger, is as follows: rciirlii rlr VAcafli'mif- dcs Iitscriplioiis cl BcUrs- Lclhfs I Paris. 1898). METON'YMY (Gk. fieron'iila, iiieloiiumia, change of name). A figure of rhetoric by which one thing is put for another to which it bears an important relation, as a |)art for the whole, the effect for the cause, the abstract for the concrete, etc. For example. "Lying lips are an abomina- tion to the Jjord." METOPE, met'6-pe (Lat. mctopu, from Gk. ficroTTTi, iiictoi)!', space between beam-ends, from /i£rd, meta, between + ojr//, ope, aperture). The space between the triglyphs in the frieze of the Doric order. As this space in the developed Greek architecture is always filled, the name is generally applied to the thin slab thus used. This was often decorated with sculpture in high relief, or with painting. Even where sculpture was used, the background and the relief seem to have been painted in contrasting colors. METRE. In music, the division of a compo- sition into parts whose rhythm is similar and whose time is equal. The smallest element in metre is the measure (q.v. ) ; a section comprises two measures, and two sections make a phrase. The largest division is the period, which consists of two phrases. Theoretically metre differs from rhythm in that the latter deals with accents and with actual and typical patterns which metre arranges in groups in accordance with their time- value. But this definition is not universally Tear of the Cycle MONTHS I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. 30 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 3D 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 Meta^vitnioa 30 29 Pyaiifpsiou 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 Thar^^flion 29 30 355 354 3B1 355 354 381 354 384 354 355 XVI. XVII. xvin. XIX. Hepatombeon MetaKeitnion BoHdromion I'yanepaion. Meiinict^Tion Pusptdeon Pow'iiipon II. (in leap yeare).. Ganiflinn Aiith('st4?rion Elaiilifbolion Muiiycliion Tharjjplion Sclrophorion 29 80 29 30 29 30 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 30 29 30 ,S0 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 .30 29 30 29 SO 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 Number of days in a year.. 354 384 355 354 384 354 30 29 30 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 384 Consult: Ideler, Handhnch der Chronologie (Berlin, 1825-26) : Boeckh. Zxir Geschiehte der lUotidci/cleit der Hellenen (Leipzig. 1855): and Veher die vierjahrigen f^onnenkreise der Alien (Berlin, 1863) ; A. Jlommsen. Chronologie (Leipzig. 1883); A. Schmidt, Handhnch der griechischeii Chronologie (ib., 1888) ; Unger, "Zeitrccluunig der Griechen und Riimer," in Mill- ler'g Bandhnch der klassischen AltcrtnmsaHssen- schaft, vol. i. (ilunicli, 1892) ; Oppert, in Compte accepted, and exactly opposite significations are often given to the two terms. METRE. A designation applied without great precision to measured or rhythmic language called verse; also the rhythmical measure of verse. In those languages whose versification de- pends not only on the number of feet in a line, but also on the length of the syllable or syllables in each. foot, metre designates both the charac- ter of the line as a whole and that of the feet
