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This is known as correption, and in particular Attic correption, which displays this more frequently than Homeric verse.

From Halporn, Ostwald, and Rosenmeyer (a great little student reference guide) p.5:

The first syllable of a word like πέτρος is counted either short or long; the treatment of the combination of a mute (γ, β, δ, κ, π, τ, χ, φ, θ), with a liquid (λ, ρ, more rarely μ, ν) varies depending on whether the mute is felt to close the preceding syllable (πετ-ρος) or, in association with the liquid, to begin the next syllable (πε-τρος).

    Example: Sophocles, Philotetes 296:
                    ἀλλ ἐν πέτροισι πέτρον ἐκτρίβων μόλις
                                  ˘            ¯

With πέτροισι, -έτρ- here scan short, while with πέτρον, -έτρ- scans long, both by the same author, in the same play, in the same line. Since the next word is theta-rho in your example, the second iota in εἰνὶ scans short by position.

They do note that lyric poets would have "always" (their emphasis) scanned that epsilon long, and Homer typically follows that pattern.

However, calling it Attic correption is a bit of a misnomer. West in his Introduction to Greek Metre says that it in early poetry it usually occurs only in the first syllable of a word (as you note in the comments) or in "words which the verse would not otherwise permit." I would say that θρόνῳ would be considered such a word.

Another word whose mute+liquid initial syllables do not always make the preceding vowel long is δράκων, as in the line:

ἔνθ’ ἐφά|νη μέγα | σῆμα· δρά|κων ἐπὶ | νῶτα δα|φοινὸς

So it's not a hard and fast rule.

From Halporn, Ostwald, and Rosenmeyer (a great little student reference guide) p.5:

The first syllable of a word like πέτρος is counted either short or long; the treatment of the combination of a mute (γ, β, δ, κ, π, τ, χ, φ, θ), with a liquid (λ, ρ, more rarely μ, ν) varies depending on whether the mute is felt to close the preceding syllable (πετ-ρος) or, in association with the liquid, to begin the next syllable (πε-τρος).

    Example: Sophocles, Philotetes 296:
                    ἀλλ ἐν πέτροισι πέτρον ἐκτρίβων μόλις
                                  ˘            ¯

With πέτροισι, -έτρ- here scan short, while with πέτρον, -έτρ- scans long, both by the same author, in the same play, in the same line. Since the next word is theta-rho in your example, the second iota in εἰνὶ scans short by position.

They do note that lyric poets would have "always" (their emphasis) scanned that epsilon long, and Homer typically follows that pattern.

This is known as correption, and in particular Attic correption, which displays this more frequently than Homeric verse.

From Halporn, Ostwald, and Rosenmeyer (a great little student reference guide) p.5:

The first syllable of a word like πέτρος is counted either short or long; the treatment of the combination of a mute (γ, β, δ, κ, π, τ, χ, φ, θ), with a liquid (λ, ρ, more rarely μ, ν) varies depending on whether the mute is felt to close the preceding syllable (πετ-ρος) or, in association with the liquid, to begin the next syllable (πε-τρος).

    Example: Sophocles, Philotetes 296:
                    ἀλλ ἐν πέτροισι πέτρον ἐκτρίβων μόλις
                                  ˘            ¯

With πέτροισι, -έτρ- here scan short, while with πέτρον, -έτρ- scans long, both by the same author, in the same play, in the same line. Since the next word is theta-rho in your example, the second iota in εἰνὶ scans short by position.

They do note that lyric poets would have "always" (their emphasis) scanned that epsilon long, and Homer typically follows that pattern.

However, calling it Attic correption is a bit of a misnomer. West in his Introduction to Greek Metre says that it in early poetry it usually occurs only in the first syllable of a word (as you note in the comments) or in "words which the verse would not otherwise permit." I would say that θρόνῳ would be considered such a word.

Another word whose mute+liquid initial syllables do not always make the preceding vowel long is δράκων, as in the line:

ἔνθ’ ἐφά|νη μέγα | σῆμα· δρά|κων ἐπὶ | νῶτα δα|φοινὸς

So it's not a hard and fast rule.

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cmw
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From Halporn, Ostwald, and Rosenmeyer (a great little student reference guide) p.5:

The first syllable of a word like πέτρος is counted either short or long; the treatment of the combination of a mute (γ, β, δ, κ, π, τ, χ, φ, θ), with a liquid (λ, ρ, more rarely μ, ν) varies depending on whether the mute is felt to close the preceding syllable (πετ-ρος) or, in association with the liquid, to begin the next syllable (πε-τρος).

    Example: Sophocles, Philotetes 296:
                    ἀλλ ἐν πέτροισι πέτρον ἐκτρίβων μόλις
                                  ˘            ¯

With πέτροισι, -έτρ- here scan short, while with πέτρον, -έτρ- scans long, both by the same author, in the same play, in the same line. Since the next word is theta-rho in your example, the second iota in εἰνὶ scans short by position.

They do note that lyric poets would have "always" (their emphasis) scanned that epsilon long, and Homer typically follows that pattern.