A.“-σπάσω” Hdt.7.236: aor. -έσπα^σα, Med. “-εσπασάμην” E.Hec.1126, Ba.339, Plu.Caes.68: pf. -έσπα^κα 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.λ́:—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.
