A.“σφάξω” E.Heracl.493: aor. “ἔσφαξα” Il.2.422: pf. ἔσφα^κα, known from plpf. “ἐσφάκειν” D.C.73.6, (ἀπο-) 78.7:—Pass., fut. “σφα^γήσομαι” E.Andr. 315, Heracl.583, (ἀπο-) X.HG3.1.27: aor. ἐσφάγην [α^] Trag. (A.Eu. 305, etc.) and late Prose, Plu.Publ.4, etc.; less freq. ἐσφάχθην, Pi.P. 11.23, Hdt.5.5, E.IT177 (lyr., nowhere else in Trag.): pf. “ἔσφαγμαι” Od.10.532, D.23.68:—slay, slaughter, properly by cutting the throat (v. “σφαγή” 11), in Hom. always of cattle, “μῆλ᾽ ἁδινὰ σφάζουσι καὶ εἰλίποδας ἕλικας βοῦς” Od.1.92, cf. 9.46, 23.305, Il.9.467.
II. esp. slaughter victims for sacrifice, 1.459, etc.; ἔσφαζ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ὤμων μόσχον cut its throat, as it hung from the servant's shoulders, E.El.813; “ς. παρθένου δέρην” Id.Or.1199:—Pass., Od.10.532; “ἀρνίον ἐσφαγμένον” Apoc. 5.6.
2. generally, slay, kill, of human victims, as Iphigeneia, Menoeceus, Pi.P.11.23, E.Ph.913, cf. A.Ag.1433, Ch.904; ς. τινὰ ἐς τὸν κρητῆρα so that the blood ran into the bowl, Hdt.3.11:— Pass., “σφάζεται ἐς τὸν τάφον” Id.5.5; “πρὸς βωμῷ σφαγείς” A.Eu. 305.
3. of any slaughter by knife or sword, Hdt.5.25, 7.107; “ς. ἑαυτόν” Th.2.92; “ς. καὶ ἐκδέρειν” Pl.Euthd.301c; “τὸν ἴδιον ἀδελφόν” PMag.Osl.1.5, cf. 1 Ep.Jo.3.12.
5. of any killing, BGU388 ii 21 (ii A.D.), OGI697 (Egypt), Sammelb.7436.7 (vi A.D.), Gloss.
6. metaph., torment, τινα POxy.259.33 (i A.D.).