διασπάω

English (LSJ)

fut. -σπάσομαι [ᾰ] Ar.Ra.477, Ec.1076, also

   A -σπάσω Hdt.7.236: aor. -έσπᾰσα, Med. -εσπασάμην E.Hec.1126, Ba.339, Plu.Caes.68: pf. -έσπᾰκα Sch.Th.Oxy.853i15:—Pass., aor. -εσπάσθην: pf. -έσπασμαι (v. infr.):—tear asunder, τοὺς ἄνδρας κρεοργηδὸν δ. Hdt.3.13, cf. E. and Ar. ll. cc., etc.; ἐμὲ καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα δ. X.Cyr.6.1.45; δ. τὸ σταύρωμα to break through or tear down the palisade, Id.HG4.4.10; δ. τὴν γέφυραν, τὸ ἔδαφος, Plb.6.55.1, Plu. Cam.5; break up, SIG364.10 (Ephesus, iii B. C.): metaph., διασπᾶν τὴν σύμπνοιαν τοῦ παντός Iamb.Protr.21.λ:—Pass., διέσπασται μελέων φύσις Emp.63; τὸ Ἀττικὸν [ἔθνος] . . διεσπασμένον ὑπὸ Πεισιστράτου Hdt.1.59; μόνον οὐ διεσπάσθην D.5.5; δ. ἀπὸ τῶν φίλων to be torn away from... Arist.Rh.1386a10.    2 in military sense, separate part of an army from the rest, X.Cyr.5.4.19; of army and fleet, Hdt.7.236; δ. τὰς φάλαγγας break them up, Arist.Pol.1303b13: —Pass., στράτευμα διεσπασμένον an army scattered and in disorder, Th.6.98, cf. 7.44; of a fleet, Id.8.104; τῷ διεσπάσθαι τὰς δυνάμεις to be widely scattered, X.An.1.5.9.    3 metaph., pull different ways, πόλεις distract states, Pl.Lg.875a; τὰς πολιτείας D.4.48; τοὺς νόμους X.Cyr.8.5.25; διέσπακε τὴν ἱστορίαν has broken the continuity of the narrative, Sch.Th. l. c.:—Pass., διασπώμενος distracted, πρὸς τοσαύτας ὑπηρεσίας Luc.DDeor.24.1; ὑπὸ τῶν λόγων Id.Icar.23.