| 13. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with ho te hiereus tou Dios {ὅ τε ἱερεὺς τοῦ Διὸς | hó te hiereús toû Diòs}, identifying “the priest of Zeus,” where the enclitic te links him to the preceding narrative. The participial genitive tou ontos pro tēs pó-le-ōs {τοῦ ὄντος πρὸ τῆς πόλεως | toû ón-tos prò tês pó-le-ōs} modifies Zeus, literally “of the one being before the city,” idiomatically indicating his sanctuary at the city’s entrance. The coordinated direct objects taú-rous kai stém-ma-ta {ταύρους καὶ στέμματα | taú-rous kaì stém-ma-ta} specify sacrificial victims and decorative wreaths. The phrase epì toùs pu-lō-nas {ἐπὶ τοὺς πυλῶνας | epì toùs pu-lō-nas} marks movement “to the gates.” The aorist participle enén-kas {ἐνέγκας | enén-kas} functions adverbially, indicating prior action. The phrase sùn toîs óch-lois {σὺν τοῖς ὄχλοις | sùn toîs óch-lois} denotes accompaniment by the crowds. Finally, the imperfect ḗ-the-len thú-ein {ἤθελεν θύειν | ḗ-the-len thú-ein} combines an imperfect indicative of desire with a present infinitive, conveying an ongoing intention to sacrifice rather than a completed act. |