λύω Dep.
Orig. sense, to loose:
I.of things, to loosen, unbind, unfasten, ζωστῆρα, θώρηκα Il.; ἀσκὸν λ. to untie a skin (used as a bottle), Od.; λ. ἡνίαν to slack the rein, Soph.; λ. γράμματα to open a letter, Eur.; στόμα λ. to open the mouth, id=Eur.; λ. ὀφρύν to unfold the brow, id=Eur., etc.:—Mid., ἐλύσατο ἱμάντα undid her belt, Il.; λύσασθαι τρίχα to unbind one's hair, Bion.
2.of living beings,
a.of horses, etc., to undo, unyoke, unharness, Hom.; Mid., λύεσθαι ἵππους ὑπ᾽ ὄχεσφι to unyoke one's horses, Il.
b.of men, to loose, release from bonds or prison, from difficulty or danger, Hom., Att:—Mid. to get one loosed or set free, Hes.
c.of prisoners, to release on receipt of ransom (ἄποινα), hold to ransom, release, Hom.; λύειν τινὰ ἀποίνων on payment of ransom, Il.:—Mid. to release by payment of ransom, to get a person released, to ransom, redeem, Hom., attic
II.to resolve a whole into its parts, to dissolve, break up, λ. ἀγορήν to dissolve the assembly, Hom.; also to break up the market, Xen.:— Pass., λῦτο ἀγών Il.; ἐλύθη ἡ στρατιά Xen.
3.to loosen, i. e. weaken, relax, λῦσέ οἱ γυῖα made his limbs slack or loose, i. e. killed him, id=Il.; λ. μένος τινί id=Il.; but, καμάτωι γούνατ᾽ ἔλυσαν made the knees weak with toil, Od.:—so in Pass., λύντο δὲ γυῖα, as the effect of death, sleep, weariness, fear, etc., Il., etc.; γυῖα λέλυντο Hom., etc.
4.to undo, bring to naught, break down, destroy, Hom.: and generally, to undo, do away with, put an end to, Lat. dissolvere, id=Hom., attic; λ. βίον, i. e. to die, Eur.
b.to repeal, annul, do away with, Hdt., etc.; λ. ψῆφον to rescind a vote, Dem.:— Pass., λέλυται πάντα all ties are broken, id=Dem.
c.to solve a problem or difficulty, Plat.
d.to refute an argument, Arist.
e.to unravel the plot of a tragedy, id=Arist.
5.to break a law or treaty, Hdt., Thuc.
IV.to atone for, make up for, Lat. luere, id=Soph., Eur.
