Abstract
This paper examines the synonymy of Homeric άμύνω and άλέξω—verbs that occupy overlapping semantic spheres and appear at times in the same formulae—from diachronic and synchronic perspectives. An examination of the semantic and morphological relationships of these two verbs suggests that in Homer they have developed a near-suppletive relationship (at times they function as one semantic unit). The perspective of the
, however, reveals the limits of this relationship. In closing, this paper illustrates how άμύνω and άλέξω are manipulated by narrator and character to mark the
's plot structure and advance its themes.