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Amphinomus

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Most decent and honorable of Penelope's suitors in the Odyssey, who showed kindness to the disguised Odysseus and urged restraint. Nevertheless, he was slain during Odysseus's revenge.

Detailed Definition
Amphinomus stands out among Penelope’s suitors for his relative decency and respect toward Odysseus-in-disguise. Despite Odysseus’s warning, he remains and is killed during the massacre. His character adds moral complexity to the suitors’ portrayal. Poets reference Amphinomus to highlight themes of choice, fate, and the tragic consequences of loyalty to a corrupt cause.
Example
Example in poetry:
Amphinomus, a courteous suitor of Penelope in Homer’s Odyssey, stands out for his decency among the arrogant; Poets may reference Amphinomus to contrast virtue within corruption; His death at Odysseus’s hands, despite his nobility, underscores fate’s cruelty—useful in tragic irony; In neoclassical poetry, Amphinomus symbolizes wasted potential; His name evokes the tragedy of the “good man in a bad crowd.”
Additional Notes
Amphinomus stands out among Penelope’s suitors for his decency—he advises against plotting Telemachus’s death and shows Odysseus (in disguise) kindness. Yet Odysseus still kills him, underscoring the inescapability of collective guilt in Homeric ethics. Poets may use Amphinomus to explore moral ambiguity, the tragedy of the “good man in a bad crowd,” or the limits of mercy in epic justice.
Also Known As
steadfast suitor Odysseus foe prudent wooer
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