I. Concept
Greek προοίμιον/prooímion, (tragedy:) φροίμιον/phroímion, Latin prooemium, prohoemium: 1) hymn to the gods (as an opening), 2) introductory section of a poem, 3) beginning of a speech, 4) introduction.
As was already realized in Antiquity [8. 19], prooímion is etymologically related to οἴμη (oímē, ‘song’, ‘story’, Hom. Od. 8,74; 8,481; 22,347) and οἶμος (oȋmos, ‘stripe’, Hom. Il. 11,24; ‘path’ = ‘song’, H. Hom. 4,451 [4. s. v. οἴμη]).