- Page 219
Terrance Callan, «The Style of the Second Letter of Peter», Vol. 84 (2003) 202-224
Readers of the Second Letter of Peter have often commented on its style, usually in negative terms. This essay examines the style of 2 Pet more thoroughly than has been done heretofore, using Cicero’s discussion of style, and that of other ancient writers, as a framework. This examination shows that 2 Pet largely conforms to ancient canons of style and should be seen as an example of the grand Asian style. Recognition of this may help readers avoid unthinking assessment of 2 Pet’s style by standards not accepted by its author, and develop greater appreciation of its style in terms of its author’s own aims and standards.
sentences in the inscription is the spondee; it is found at the end of eleven sentences75. Also like 2 Pet, four times the spondee is preceded by a cretic76. Unlike 2 Pet, the sentences of the inscription do not frequently end with two spondees; this happens only at the end of sentence 21.
Unlike 2 Pet, the second most common foot at the end of the inscription’s sentences is not the cretic. It is found only twice, at the ends of sentences 6 and 17. In the latter case it is preceded by a trochee.
The second most common foot at the end of the inscription’s sentences is the trochee, the third most common foot at the end of 2 Pet’s sentences. A trochee is found at the end of nine of the inscription’s sentences77. Two trochees end a sentence five of these times78.
Like 2 Pet, the inscription’s sentences also end with iambs (at the end of sentence 4), dactyls (at the ends of 1, 5, 12) and paeans (at the end of 26). The last is of the kind best used at the end of a sentence.
According to Waldis, Asian style allowed four possible sentence endings79:
1. Cretic - trochee/spondee, which may also take the forms paean - trochee/spondee, molossus (long - long - long) - cretic, and paean - trochee - iamb, among others. Twelve of the inscription’s sentences end in one of these ways80.
2. Cretic - cretic/dactyl, which may also take the forms cretic - paean and paean - cretic, among others. Four of the inscription’s sentences end in one of these ways81.
3. Trochee - trochee, which may also take the form trochee - spondee. Eight of the inscription’s sentences end in one of these ways82.
4. Cretic - iamb. One of the inscription’s sentences ends this way, namely 17.
FOLLOW US