Nicanor of Alexandria on grammatical completeness

Nicanor's elaborate system of punctuation is actually built on a two-fold differentiation between complete and incomplete sentences. Based on an analysis of all the relevant fragments of Nicanor, the present article reconstructs the principles that underlie this distinction. It argues that the decisive criterion for grammatical completeness is the presence of a predicate, except for the special category of vocatives. The article also shows in what way this distinction between complete and incomplete sentences allows Nicanor to have the punctuation reflect his understanding of the Homeric passage in question. The relevant fragments are extensively quoted and translated. A short appendix throws a quick glance at Nicanor's contemporary Apollonius Dyscolus.