The Chorus notably swears its oath by Helios, whom it describes as the gods’ champion (πρόμον): one who stands alone in front of the ranks to absorb the brunt of an enemy onslaught and deflect. it from the mass of warriors, who in this instance are the other Olympians. The image, then, is of a platoon of gods fighting side by side as a military unit engaged in combat with a great and daunting foe. But from what quarter comes the attack? At the present moment the problem of which the audience is most aware is the Chorus’s own inconsistency with regard to oaths and prophecies. Indeed, in falling short of affirming Teiresias’s accusations, the Chorus declines to give proper respectful consideration to the credibility to the very gods upon whom it is calling. This failing poses a threat to the gods, though not of a military nature. As the audience imagines the gods lined up in battle formation, it may also consider the threat posed by its own resistance to the prophecy offering Sparta Apollo’s help in achieving a victory over Athens. [Ap] [Gt-a]