καί τέ μέ φησι μάχῃ Τρώεσσιν ἀρήγειν.This φησι is always declarative in Hom, it seems, it never means ‘tell someone to do something.’ However, Brill has one example from Lys, 16, 13 that has this meaning: ἔφην τῷ Ὀρθοβούλῳ ἐξαλεῖψαί με ἐκ τοῦ καταλόγου. So, sometimes, confusion may arise.
Hardly. The context prevents confusion in the Lysias passage, which is unique.