DIVERT Copy link • DIVERTTo turn off from any course, flectere; declinare aliquem, or aliquid de re (☞ declinare in this sense not Ciceronian; but Liv., si quo inde agmen declinare voluissem; and Quintilian, neque spe neque metu declinatus animus): animum et cogitationes avocare a re (with reference to the mind): derivare (of rivers, etc.; also IMPROP., rem in aliquid): deducere (to lead or move astray): avertere (to give a different direction): abducere: abstrahere (to divert entirely): avocare (to call off; aliquem ab aliqua re: to anything, ad aliquid. Also of “diverting forces some other way,” [Davies], milites ad aliud bellum avocare, Liv.). To divert the course of a river, flumen derivare, avertere; aquam de fluvio or ex flumine derivare (to lead off the water): to divert the river from its usual, or into another channel, flumen novo alveo avertere: to divert anybody from his purpose, aliquem a consilio revocare: not to allow one’s self to be diverted from one’s purpose, perstare in aliqua re. Hence, to turn the mind from anything it is intent on, distrahere (e.g., alicujus industriam in plura studia): aliquem distinere (to distract his attention): distringere aliquem (to occupy with more than one object). To divert anybody’s mind from his grief, animum alicujus a curis or a solicitudine abducere: aliquem oblectare. Hence, to amuse, Vid.