Rudolf Westphal (1826-92) originally studied theology at the University of Marburg before turning to classical philology and comparative linguistics. He learnt Sanskrit and Arabic and took a keen interest in Indo-European languages and Semitic grammar. In the late 1850s and early 1860s he joined his friend and fellow philologist August Rossbach (1823-98) at the University of Breslau (Wrocław). This multi-volume work on ancient Greek metre and music resulted from their collaboration. Reissued here is the revised third edition published in four parts between 1885 and 1889. Part 2 of Volume 3 (1889) considers the historical development of different metres and analyses a number of lyrical and choral compositions in great detail. It also pays attention to the hexameter in drama and the poetry of Nonnus and Theocritus in particular. Also included are accounts of the structure of the Greek choliamb and of the Anacreontea collection.
