Topic · from the English index · as printed

Hysteron Proteron

SOME GRAMMATICAL AND RHETORICAL FIGURES

Hysteron Proteron (ὕστερον πρότερον later earlier) is an arrangement reversing the natural order of time in which events occur. It is used when an event, later in time, is regarded as more important than one earlier in time.

τράφεν ἠδὲ γένοντο were bred and born A 251 (so τροφὴ καὶ γένεσις X. M. 3.5.10; cp. “for I was bred and born”: Shakespeare), εἵματά τ᾽ ἀμφιέσᾱσα θυώδεα καὶ λούσᾱσα having put on fragrant robes and washed ε 264.