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” SIG324 (Delph., iv B.C.), cf. Schwyzer 323D35 (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 IG12.237.58, 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, AP6.281 (Leon.): also neut. πρόναον , τό, Str.17.1.28, Ph.2.150, 236, Paus.8.32.2 codd., OGI661 (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 , IG5(2).515 Ba (Lycosura, i B.C. i A.D.), 520 (ibid., ii A.D.), 7.225 (Aegosthena), J.AJ8.3.2 (v.l. πρόναον); προνάειν , Jahresh. 15 Beibl.106 (Dionysopolis, iii A.D.). (The forms Προναια, προναιην, προναιον should perh. be understood as Προνᾴα, προνᾴην, πρόνᾳον: the word is trisyll. in A. and Call. ll. cc.)