Change-Point Analysis: Elision in Euripides' Orestes

This paper studies the problem of detecting multiplechanges at unknown times in the mean level of elision in thetrimeter sequences of the Orestes, a play written by theAncient Greek dramatist Euripides (485–406 B.C.). Change-detection statistics proposed by MacNeill (1978) and Jandhayala and MacNeill(1991) are adopted for this purpose. Analysis of the trimetersequences yields several points of change. A general explanation fortheir occurrence appears to be that Euripides varies his use ofelision according to the emotional content of his text, i.e., heseems to change the form to support the content and, thus, seems touse elision frequency as a dramatic instrument.