Dochmiac (Ancient Greek: δοχμιακός, from δόχμιος 'across, aslant, oblique',[1] or 'pertaining to a δοχμή or hand's-breath'[2]) is a poetic meter that is characteristically used in Greek tragedy, expressing extreme agitation or distress.
Conomis counted a total of 1,985 in the tragedies of Aeschylus (528×), Sophocles (291×), and Euripides (1166×)[3]—, but there are also examples in satyric drama and Aristophanes, where they are often paratragic in tone and impassioned.
[4] Thus, in theory, 32 variants are possible, ranging from five longs — — — — — to eight shorts, ‿ ‿‿ ‿‿ ‿ ‿‿.
The ones occurring most often are Here is an example from Aeschylus' Seven against Thebes, lines 697-700, where the chorus in vain tries to withhold Oedipus' son Eteocles from a fatal battle with his brother Polynices.
Note that dochmiacs and even whole lines can start and end in the middle of a word: An example of the simplest double drag form (— — — — —) is when the chorus in Aeschylus' Suppliant Maidens, lines 892 and 901, twice sighs: