To You, Phoebus Apollo, go these spoils, prizes of the night, taken from distinguished nobles, not yet washed clean of their blood. I trust that truly I have offered You an acceptable sacrifice. I, Your faithful priest and defender of Your sacred tripod against uncivilized enemies, commit these to You. If I have not disgraced Your traditional rites and strictly kept Your rule, come often to me, think me worthy to often enter into my thoughts and seize my mind. Although now crude honors are offered You — these broken arms stained with blood of honorable men — if ever, Paean, You will grant the return of my native home and the temples I long for, God of Lycia, remember my vows, and however many rich gifts and as many bulls as I have promised, demand they be fulfilled.
Commentarius · Commentary
Thiodamas, successor to Amphiaraus in the office of seer, dedicates the spoils of a night raid to Apollo.
He prays without having washed the blood off, and says so plainly: "not yet washed with water". The unwashed state is not an oversight but a warrant of authenticity: the offering is made while the trail is hot, and the god is to see that it is fresh.
The vow has two tiers. Now, a "crude honour": broken weapons and the blood of men, whatever is to hand. Later, if the god grants a homecoming — rich gifts on the sacred doorposts and as many bulls.
And it is worth noticing where Statius places the cult titles: Paean and Lycius appear in exactly the line where the condition begins. At the contractual clause the speech shifts into a formal register.
