μνηστ-εύω · mnēst-euō — LSJ
court, seek in marriage, c. acc., ἀγαθήν τε γυναῖκα καὶ ἀφνειοῖο θύγατρα μνηστεύειν Od. 18.277; τὴν πλεῖστοι . . μνήστευον Hes. Fr. 33.2; ἐμνήστευσε τὴν γυναῖκα λαβεῖν X. HG 6.4.37; μ. γάμους E. IA 847, cf. Pl. Lg. 773b; woo and win, espouse, Thgn. 1112, Theoc. 18.6:—Med., court for oneself, Περσεφόνης γάμον Apollod. 2.5.12, cf. J. AJ 4.8.23, Palaeph. l.c.: censured by Luc. Sol. 9, but used by him, Merc.Cond. 23, Tox. 37; ὁ τὴν κόρην μεμνηστευμένος Id. Asin. 26; -ευσαμένου μου τῷ . . υἱῷ . . τὴν
promise in marriage, betroth, τινά τινι E. El. 313; γάμον μνηστεύειν (with or without τινι) to bring about a marriage for another, help him to a wife, Call. Dian. 265, A.R. 2.511:—Pass., τῇ μεμνηστευμένῃ αὐτῷ γυναικί his betrothed wife, Ev.Luc. 2.5.
metaph., τοσόνδε κίνδυνον αὐτῷ ὁ ὄλεθρος τῶν ἀδελφῶν μ. J. AJ 17.1.1; ἡδονήν [τινι] μ. τῷ κάλλει Jul. Ep. 180; ἡμῖν τοῦ μέλους τὸ ἐνδόσιμον μ. ib. 186.
generally, sue, canvass for a thing, c. acc., χειροτονίαν Isoc. 8.15: c. inf., μνηστευόμενος ἄρχειν ἑκόντων Plu. Caes. 58:—also in Med., μ. πόλεμον, διαλλαγάς, J. BJ 2.17.3, AJ 5.7.4.
λόγον μ. τινί pass off a speech upon a person, hawk it to him, Socr. Ep. 30.13.