The construction ἐξέρποι (aorist middle optative of ἐξέρχομαι) combined with the present middle participle θηρώμενοι ('while hunting' or 'while being hunted') creates a syntactic tension regarding the temporal scope of the participle. While the optative in the protasis suggests a hypothetical or potential future scenario, the present tense of the participle implies an action simultaneous with the main verb's hypothetical occurrence. In the context of the Knights, where the Paphlagonian (Cleon) is depicted as emerging from a dark, subterranean pit, the participle likely functions not merely as a temporal marker but as a descriptive of the Paphlagonian's state as he is drawn out—simultaneously 'hunting' (i.e., preying on the demos) and being 'hunted' (by the Sausage-Seller's counter-aggression). This simultaneity underscores the chaotic, inverted nature of the scene where the predator becomes the prey.