dē-spondĕo — Lewis & Short
dē-spondĕo, spondi, sponsum, 2 (
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).