πρόναος

A. before a temple, βωμοὺς προνάους A. Supp. 494: esp. of gods whose statues stood before the temple, Ἀθηνᾶ καὶ Ἑρμῆς πρόναοι at Thebes, Paus. 9.10.2; πρόνεως, epith. of Poseidon, Hsch.; freq. of Athena at Delphi, because she had a chapel or statue there before the great temple of Apollo, κατὰ τὸ ἱρὸν τῆς Προνηΐης Ἀθηναίης Hdt. 8.37, cf. 39; ἐν δὲ Προνηΐης τῆς ἐν Δελφοῖσι Id. 1.92; Παλλὰς προναία A. Eu. 21; ἐναγὴς ἔστω τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος . . καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς Προναίας Decr. Amphict. ap. Aeschin. 3.110 (Προνοίας codd., so also in 108, al., but cf. Harp.); χἡ Παλλάς, Δελφοί νιν ὅθ’ ἱδρύοντο προναίην Call. Fr. 220; Ἀθηνᾷ Προναίᾳ SIG 324 (Delph., iv B.C.), cf. Schwyzer 323 D 35 (ibid., iv B.C.).

II. Subst. πρόναος,ὁ, front hall of a temple, through which one passed to the ναός, BMus.Inscr. 481*.272,283 (Ephesus, ii A.D.); Ion. πρόνηος Luc. Syr.D. 30; Att. dat. written προνεοι IG 12.237.58, προνειοι ib.232.6 (prob. to be understood as πρόνεῳ and πρόνειῳ); Ion. gen. προνηΐου Hdt. 1.51: pl. προνήϊα, as Adv., before the temple, AP 6.281 (Leon.): also neut. πρόναον, τό, Str. 17.1.28, Ph. 2.150, 236, Paus. 8.32.2 codd., OGI 661 (Egypt, i A.D.), 702 (ibid., ii A.D.), Ath.Mitt. 35.442 (Pergam., ii A.D.), Milet. 1(7) No.200 (iii A.D.), Ephes. 2 No.42 (iii A.D.), IGRom. 4.556 (Ancyra): gender uncertain in προνάοις D.S. 14.41; προνάϊον, IG 5(2).515 Ba (Lycosura, i B.C. i A.D.), 520 (ibid., ii A.D.), 7.225 (Aegosthena), J. AJ 8.3.2 (v.l. πρόναον); προνάειν, Jahresh. 15 Beibl. 106 (Dionysopolis, iii A.D.). (The forms Προναια,προναιην, pronaion should perh. be understood as Προνᾴα, προνᾴην, πρόνᾳον: the word is trisyll. in A. and Call. ll. cc.)