| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The sentence begins with polloi {πολλοὶ | pól-loi} functioning as a fronted nominative subject, giving prominence to the large number who respond. The particle pair men oun {μὲν οὖν | mèn oûn} serves as a discourse marker, linking this statement inferentially to the prior account and signaling a consequential outcome. The prepositional phrase ex auton {ἐξ αὐτῶν | ex autôn} specifies that this large group comes “from among them,” referring back to the previously described hearers. The finite verb episteusan {ἐπίστευσαν | e-PÍ-steu-san} is aorist active indicative, portraying their belief as a decisive, completed response. The coordinated genitive phrase kai ton Hellenidon gynaikon ton euschemonon {καὶ τῶν Ἑλληνίδων γυναικῶν τῶν εὐσχημόνων | kai tôn Hellēnídōn gynaikôn tôn eus-skhē-MÓ-nōn} expands the scope, identifying “of the Greek women” and further qualifying them by social status as “prominent” through euschemonon. The following coordination kai andron ouk oligoi {καὶ ἀνδρῶν οὐκ ὀλίγοι | kai andrôn ouk OL-i-goi} adds men into the group, with ouk oligoi as a litotes meaning “quite a number” rather than merely “not few.” The repeated genitives create a partitive nuance (“of the Greek women … and of men”), while the litotes underscores the significant extent of the response. In translation, the inferential force of men oun is conveyed by “Therefore” and “As a result,” the partitive genitives are rendered with “of” or “including,” and the litotes is expressed idiomatically as “not a few” in the formal rendering and “numerous” in the dynamic rendering to bring out its emphatic nuance. |