Georg Autenrieth, A Homeric Dictionary

ἀμφί (cf. ἀμφίς, ἄμφω): on both sides; the distinction between ἀμφί and περί (‘around’) is of course not always observed; the two words are used together, ὄχθαι δ᾽ ἀμφὶ περὶ μέγαλ̓ ι?αχον, ‘round about,’ Il. 21.10, but on the other hand are sometimes interchangeable, ἀμφὶ δὲ κυ_ανέην κάπετον, περὶ δ᾽ ἕρκος ἔλασσεν | κασσιτέρου, Il. 18.564; cf. Il. 23.561 f.—I. adv., on both sides (or ends, or above and below, Il. 6.115), about, around; here belongs the so-called use ‘in tmesi,’ and in many instances where the word seems to govern a subst., it is really adverbial, and the case of the subst. must be explained independently, ἀμφ᾽ ὀβελοῖσιν ἔπειραν (ὀβ. dat. instr.), ἀμφὶ δὲ χαῖται | ὤμοις α?ι?σσονται (ὤμ. local dat.). In case of an apparent ambiguity of construction the presumption is in favor of adverbial interpretation in Homer.—II. prep., (1) w. gen., about, concerning; ἀμφί τινος μάχεσθαι (Il. 16.825), ἀείδειν (Od. 8.267).—(2) w. dat., (a) local, Il. 2.388, Il. 3.328 ; ἤριπε δ᾽ ἀμφ̓, αὐτῷ, ‘over,’ Il. 4.493 ; τὴν κτεῖνε ἀμφ᾽ ἐμοί, ‘near,’ Od. 11.423, Il. 9.470 ; ἀμφὶ πυρί, ‘on,’ etc.—(b) causal, ‘for,’ ἀμφί τινι ἄλγεα πάσχειν, μάχεσθαι, δικάζεσθαι, εἴρεσθαι (Od. 19.95), ‘as regards’ (Il. 7.408). —(3) w. acc., local, mostly to denote motion or extension in space, ἀμφ᾽ ἅλα ἔλσαι Ἀχαιούς, Il. 1.409; ἀμφὶ ἄστυ ἔρδειν ι?ρά, ‘around in,’ Il. 11.706 ; οἱ ἀμφὶ Πρίαμον, ‘Priam and his followers.’