λύω Dep. Orig. sense, to loose: of things, to loosen, unbind, unfasten, ζωστῆρα, θώρηκα Il.; ἀσκὸν λ. to untie a skin (used as a bottle), Od.; λ. ἡνίαν to slack the rein, Soph.; λ. γράμματα to open a letter, Eur.; στόμα λ. to open the mouth, Eur.; λ. ὀφρύν to unfold the brow, Eur., etc.:—Mid., ἐλύσατο ἱμάντα undid her belt, Il.; λύσασθαι τρίχα to unbind oneʼs hair, Bion. of living beings, of horses, etc., to undo, unyoke, unharness, Hom.; Mid., λύεσθαι ἵππους ὑπʼ ὄχεσφι to unyoke oneʼs horses, Il. of men, to loose, release from bonds or prison, from difficulty or danger, Hom., Att:—Mid. to get one loosed or set free, Hes. of prisoners, to release on receipt of ransom (ἄποινα), hold to ransom, release, Hom.; λύειν τινὰ ἀποίνων on payment of ransom, Il.:—Mid. to release by payment of ransom, to get a person released, to ransom, redeem, Hom., Attic to give up, [θρόνον λῦσον ἄμμιν Pind. to resolve a whole into its parts, to dissolve, break up, λ. ἀγορήν to dissolve the assembly, Hom.; also to break up the market, Xen.:— Pass., λῦτο ἀγών Il.; ἐλύθη ἡ στρατιά Xen. to loosen, slacken, σπάρτα λέλυνται, i. e. have rotted, Il. to loosen, i. e. weaken, relax, λῦσέ οἱ γυῖα made his limbs slack or loose, i. e. killed him, Il.; λ. μένος τινί Il.; but, καμάτωι γούνατʼ ἔλυσαν made the knees weak with toil, Od.:—so in Pass., λύντο δὲ γυῖα, as the effect of death, sleep, weariness, fear, etc., Il., etc.; γυῖα λέλυντο Hom., etc. to undo, bring to naught, break down, destroy, Hom.: and generally, to undo, do away with, put an end to, Lat. dissolvere, Hom., Attic; λ. βίον, i. e. to die, Eur. to repeal, annul, do away with, Hdt., etc.; λ. ψῆφον to rescind a vote, Dem.:— Pass., λέλυται πάντα all ties are broken, Dem. to solve a problem or difficulty, Plat. to refute an argument, Arist. to unravel the plot of a tragedy, Arist. to break a law or treaty, Hdt., Thuc. to solve, fulfil, accomplish, τὰ μαντεῖα Soph. to atone for, make up for, Lat. luere, Soph., Eur. μισθοὺς λύειν to pay wages in full, Xen. τέλη λύειν λυσιτελεῖν, to pay, profit, avail, ἔνθα μὴ τέλη λύει φρονοῦντι where it boots not to be wise, Soph.; also λύει alone, much like λυσιτελεῖ, λύει ἄλγος Eur.; φημὶ τοιούτους γάμους λύειν βροτοῖς Eur.