Metochita, Theodorus (GfoCwpocoMfroYfVTjc), a Greek theologian, flourished in the da,ys of the emper- or Andronicus the Elder, who appointed him the chief loyothete, or chancellor, of the Church at Constantinople, and intrusted him with several missions. Amid all his official tiuties, Metochita found time to compose sun- dry works which reflect honor upon his learning. He was banished from the country shortly after the usur- pation of power by Andronicus the Younger, in 1328. The emperor was not slow to recall him; but Metochita being disgusted with the complexion which matters had assumed, retired into a convent, where he died about 1332. His principal works are Commentaries (Ua- pu(ppa(ji(;') on several treatises by Aristotle : Physica,De A ninia, I)e Calo, De Ortu et Interitu, De Memoria et Reminiscentia, De Somno et Viyilia. These commenta-
ries were published in Latin by CJent. Ilervet (Basle, 1550, 4to; Ravenna, 1614, 4to) ; but the original Greek text of the Commentaries has remained inedited. He also wrote two books on ecclesiastical history, and several works of a secular character, which were never ])rinted. See Fabricius, Bibl. Grceca, x, 412 sq. ; C. F. de Boden- bourg. Be Th. Metochitm Scriptis Notheias vulgo insimu- latis, in the Miscellan. Lipsiensia, vol. xii.
Metonymy (fitrwt'Vfiia, '^ denominatio nominis pi'o nomine posita," QuinUUian, 8, 6, 23), a technical term in rhetoric designating a '' trope, in which a word is used to express a thing differing from its original meaning in kind'^ (E. D. Haven, Rhetoric, p. 78). Metonymies are a little bolder than synecdoches (q. v.), and, as Aristotle observes, may be employed either to elevate or to de- grade the subject, according to the design of the au- thor. The substance may be named for the quality, the cause for the effect, the precedent for the consequent, or the reverse, e. g. "Addison was smooth, but Prescott smoother." Here Addison means the wi-itings of Addi- son ; smooth means pleasing to the ear. Both words are metonymic. "Always respect old age' — a metonymy for aged people. Thus, " gray hairs" may stand for " old age,'' the name of Virgil for that of liis writings, the " head" for the " intellect,'" and the " olive-branch" for "peace.''' Metonymies may be classified as follows:
(1.) The sign for the thing signified, signum pro sig- nato. Sword for war; SipovoQ for power (Luke i, 32; Heb. i, 8); avaroXii, cvani], for east and west (Matt, ii, 3 ; Luke xiii, 29 ; Psa. xlvi, 6) ; red tape, for the diffi- culties in obtaining the completion of a work that must pass the inspection of several officers ; a pen for litera- ture— " The pen is mightier than the sword."
(2.) The container for the thing contained, continens pro contento. '-The country is jealous of the city." '• The army yielded, but the nar-y resisted ;" u KoofioQ, world, for the human beings contained in the world (Matt, xviii, 7 ; John i, 10 ; iii, 16, 17) ; o oIkoq, the house, for domestics (John iv, 53 ; Acts x, 2, 11, 14, 16).
(3.) ^4 cause may be put for an effect, and an effect for a cause. " The savage desolation of war." Tlie cause of the desolation is a savage spirit ; here it is transfer- red to the effect. In an opposite transference, we may speak of pyule^ death, joyful health, a proud testimony. This is sometimes called a transferi-ed epithet.
(4.) .4 man may be named for his tvorlcs. Thus we speak of " Shakespeare," meaning his writings. " Black- stone," meaning his works on law. So the " Prophets" are referred to (Mark i, 2; Luke xvi, 29; xxiv, 44; Acts viii, 28), meaning their writings. This is akin to personification (q. v.).
Metre (Gr. psrpov) is, in its most extensive signi- fication, the measure by which any thing is determined with exactness and due proportion. In its classical sense the word is used for the subdivision of a verse. The Greeks measured some species of verses (the dac- tylic, choriambic, antispastic, Ionic, etc.) by considering each foot as a metre ; in others (the iambic, trochaic, and anapaestic), each dipodia, or two feet, formed a metre. Thus the dactylic hexameter (the heroic verse) con- tained six dactj'ls or spondees ;, the iambic, anapaestic, and trochaic trimeter, six of those feet respectively. A line is said to be acatalcctic -when the last syllable of the last foot is wanting ; brachicatalcctic, when two syl- lables are cut off" in the same way ; hypercatalectic, when there is one superfluous syllable.
In religious poetr_v, as adapted to music, metre de- notes the regular consecution in a stanza of lines con- taining a certain number of syllables of a given kind of verse. The usual number of lines is four, and these may be alike or ditferent in length. For example, in what is called Long Metre, each line consists of four iambic measures; in Common Metre, the lines contain alter- nately four and three iambi, or their prosodiac equiva- lents ; and in Short Metre every Ime has three iambi, except the third, which has foiu-. All other kinds are
METRETES
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METROLOGY
callc<l " pcniicular metres," as G lines of 8 syllables each, 4 lines of 7. 6 lines of 7, 4 lines of 10, 4 of G and 2 of 8, 8 of « and 7 alternately, etc. Metietes. See I'litKix.