I.perf. despopondisse, Plaut. Trin. 3, 1, 2; plqpf. despoponderas, id. Truc. 4, 3, 51; “with despondi,” id. Aul. 2, 3, 4: “despondisse,” id. Trin. 5, 2, 9 et saep.), v. a., to promise to give, to promise, pledge.
I. Lit.
A. In gen. (rarely): “librum alicui,” Cic. Att. 13, 12, 3: “Syriam homini,” id. ib. 1, 16, 8: “domum, hortos, Baias sibi,” id. ib. 11, 6, 6: “imperium Orientis Romanis,” Liv. 26, 37: “consulatum,” id. 4, 13: Tarpeias arces sibi (sc. diripiendas, with promittere), Luc. 7, 758.— Far more freq. and class.,
B. In partic. t. t., to promise in marriage, to betroth, engage: qui spoponderat filiam, despondisse dicebatur, quod de sponte ejus, id est de voluntate exierat, Varr. L. L. 6, § 71 Müll.: “filiam alicui,” Plaut. Aul. 2, 2, 28; id. Rud. 4, 8, 5; Ter. Heaut. 4, 5, 36; Cic. Att. 1, 3 fin.; id. de Or. 1, 56, 239; id. Clu. 64, 179; Liv. 1, 26; 1, 39; Ov. M. 9, 715: “vos uni viro,” Vulg. 2 Cor. 11, 2 et saep.—Absol.: “placuit despondi (sc. eam),” Ter. And. 1, 1, 75; cf.: “sororem suam in tam fortem familiam,” Plaut. Trin. 5, 2, 9; and: “filiam suam in divitias maxumas,” id. Cist. 2, 3, 57. —Rarely with sibi: Orestillae filiam sibi, to espouse, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 7.—Pass. impers.: “intus despondebitur,” Ter. And. 5, 6, 16.—
2. Transf., facete: “bibliothecam tuam cave cuiquam despondeas, quamvis acrem amatorem inveneris,” Cic. Att. 1, 10, 4.—
II. Trop.
A. To promise, give up, devote to: “spes reipublicae despondetur anno consulatus tui,” Cic. Fam. 12, 9, 2: “perjuria meritis poenis,” Val. Fl. 7, 509.—
B. With predom. idea of removing, putting away from one's self, to give up, yield, resign. So esp. freq. in Plaut.: animum, to lose courage, to despair, despond: “ne lamentetur neve animum despondeat,” Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 6; 4, 2, 63; id. Merc. 3, 4, 29; id. Men. prol. 35; Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 6; “in the same sense, animos,” Liv. 3, 38; 26, 7; 31, 22; “and simply, despondere,” Col. 8, 10, 1: “sapientiam,” to despair of acquiring wisdom, Col. 11, 1, 11; cf.: nempe quas spopondi? St. Immo, quas despondi, inquito, have got rid of by promising, i. e. by being security for others, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 25 Ritschl (Fleck. dependi).