A.“μεμνήστευκα” D.S.18.23:—Med., fut. “μνηστεύσομαι” Palaeph.29: pf. “μεμνήστευμαι” Luc. (v. infr.), in Pass. sense, Ev.Luc.1.27, 2.5 (v.l. ἐμν-):—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.HG6.4.37; “μ. γάμους” E.IA847, 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.AJ4.8.23, 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 . . θυγατέρα” PFlor.36.4 (iv A. D.):—Pass., of the woman, “μναστευθείσᾳ᾽ ξ Ἑλλάνων” E.IT208 (lyr.), cf.Isoc.10.39.
II. 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.
b. metaph., “τοσόνδε κίνδυνον αὐτῷ ὁ ὄλεθρος τῶν ἀδελφῶν μ.” J.AJ17.1.1; “ἡδονήν [τινι] μ. τῷ κάλλει” Jul.Ep.180; ἡμῖν τοῦ μέλους τὸ ἐνδόσιμον μ. ib.186.
III. 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.BJ2.17.3, AJ5.7.4.
