ὕσ·πληξ, ηγος (ἡ) c. ὕσπληγξ 1, PLAT. Phædr. 254 e, DH. 3, 98 ; PLUT. M. 732 d, etc.

ηγος, ἡ (Phryn. 54, etc., but ὁ CIG 2824.14 (Aphrodisias), Eust. 598.23), IG1². 313.116, 314.129, Inscr.Perg. 10.3 (iii BC), Pl. Phdr. 254e, Eust. l.c., etc. ; rarely ὕσπληγξ, ηγγος, ἡ (ὁ Hero Aut. 24.4), D.P. 121, Dionys. Av. 3.18; Dor. ὕσπλαγξ Theoc. 8.58; gen. ὕσπλακος IG4²(1).98.2 (Epid., iii BC); dat. pl. ὕσπληξιν Plu. 2.588f, Ep. ὑσπλήγεσσι AP 6.259 (Phil.); Dor. ὑσπλαγίς :
snare or gin of a bird-catcher, Theoc. l.c. ; wolf-trap, Hsch. ; also the part of a springe or noose trap which slips down when touched, Dionys. Av.l.c., cf. 3.13; = ῥόπτρον, Hsch. ; = πάσσαλος, κρίκος κεράτινος, Id., Sch. Pl. Phdr. 254e. a twisted strand, the untwisting of which releases motive power in an automaton (cf. στρέβλη I. 2), Hero Aut. 2.8 (also, a piece of wood made to rise or fall by this or similar means, ib. 6, cf. 24.4); ψυχὴ ἀνθρώπου μυρίαις ὁρμαῖς οἷον ὕσπληξιν ἐντεταμένη Plu. 2.588f; [τὸ θερμὸν] ἀθροῖσαν ἑαυτὸ καὶ οἷον συνεσπειραμένον γεγονός,… σφοδρᾷ τῇ φορᾷ χρώμενον καὶ οἷον ἀπὸ ὕσπληγος ἐξαλλόμενον Gal. 7.623; ὥσπερ ἀπὸ ὕ. ἀναπεσών throwing himself back as from a ὕ., i.e. violently, Pl. Phdr. 254e; ὥσπερ ἀπὸ ὕ. θέοντες, i.e. running at top speed, Luc. Cat. 4. a contrivance (of uncertain nature, but prob. on the principle of ὕ. 1 or 2; = Lat. transenna, Gloss.) for starting a race, starting-machine (κυρίως τὸ μηχάνημα τὸ ἀποκροῦον τὸν κανόνα τοῦ δρομέως Sch. D.P. 121; cf. σχαστηρία 1), ὕσπληγος ἀγκῶνας τρεῖς παραστάδας ὑσπλήγων τέτταρας καὶ κίονας δύο, σύριγγας τῶν ὑ. δύο, in a list of wooden objects, Inscr.Délos 1400.9 (ii BC), cf. 1409 Ba ii43 (ii BC); ὕσπληγα λαμπαδίειον (for the torch-race) IG 11(2).203 B 96 (Delos, iii BC); ἀφέσεις τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν ὑσπλήγων τοῦ Παναθηναϊκοῦ σταδίου ib. 22.1035.50 (i BC); ἔπεσεν ἡ ὕ. Luc. Tim. 20; τῆς ὕ. εὐθὺς καταπεσούσης Id. Cal. 12; ἑστᾶσιν ὥσπερ ἐφ’ ὕσπληγος ἐξορμᾶν ἕτοιμοι J. BJ 3.5.4 (v.l. ὑφ’ ὕσπληγος); διήκει πρὸ αὐτῶν καλῴδιον ἀντὶ ὕσπληγος Paus. 6.20.11; χαλῶσιν αἱ ὕ. ib. 13; ἀθρόα δ’ ὕσπληξ πάντα (sc. τὰ ἅρματα) διὰ στρεπτοῦ τείνα [τ’ ἔ]χουσα κάλω· [ἦ] μέγ’ ἐπαχήσασα θοὰς ἐξήλασε πώλους Inscr.Perg. l.c. ; ψόφος ἦν ὕσπληγος ἐν οὔασιν, i.e. the race had just started, AP 11.86, cf. Plu. 2.804e; ἔσχαστο ἡ ὕ. Hld. 4.3; ψαλιδωτὰς ἱππαφέσεις διὰ μιᾶς ὕ. ἅμα πάσας ἀνοιγομένας D.H. 3.68; metaph, κἀπὸ γῆς ἐσχάζοσαν ὕσπληγας were loosing the starting-machine from land, i.e. were starting out from land, Lyc. 22. = καμπτήρ II, metaph, D.P. 121, cf. Eust. ad loc. ; ὕσπληγας ὑποφήνας τῶν κατὰ φιλοσοφίαν λόγων setting limits to…, dub. in Metrod. Herc. 831.11. part of a burial-place, perh.
gate, CIG l.c. = μύωψ II. 2 or μάστιξ, Herm. in Phdr. p. 170A., Hsch., Suid. ; = ὑστριχίς 1, Eust. ad D.P. 121 (deriving it from ὗς and πλήσσω).

ηγος, ἡ, = ὕσπληγξ ; Plat. Phaedr. 254e ; Lobeck zu Phryn. 71 spricht diese Form den Attikern ganz ab.