At midnight, Pentarkes stands guard in his post. He is a foreigner living in Athens, protecting the city’s most important temple—the Parthenon. The giant statue of the goddess Athena, made of gold and ivory, seems to watch over everything. The goddess was made to be the guardian of the city. Pentarkes feels a strong connection to the statue, as he has learned how to make sculptures from the famous artist who created it, Pheidias.

Pheidias was a brilliant man, but he had enemies and was accused of stealing money. Even though he was in trouble and disgraced, his work was terrific. Apart from the great goddess of the Parthenon, he made the colossal statue of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Pentarkes was fascinated by his incredible talent. As Pentarkes ends his night shift, he thinks about his life and how Pheidias influenced him. Even though he’s older now, he still loves remembering his younger days.

Meanwhile, in the heart of the city, two young women named Dareia and Chryseis are busy learning a new play. They are slaves who work for a famous playwright named Aristophanes. The play is called Lysistrata, and it is about women who go on a sex strike to stop a war. They refuse to have sex with their husbands until the men agree to negotiate peace. The ladies are reading and reflecting on the play.

Dareia is intelligent and strives for a better life. She dreams of becoming Aristophanes’ wife. Chryseis is more practical and hopes to marry a rich man. Both women are excited about the play and think it is hilarious. They practice their lines and talk about what it would be like if women really could stop a war.

Suddenly, there was a problem in the other part of the city. A young priestess who worked at the temple got very sick. A doctor named Phoikos was called to help her. The girls like her were special to the city since they served Athena. Greeks even considered them saints. Phoikos is worried and is trying to figure out why the girl got sick, which can symbolize something ominous. He ponders whether someone has done something bad to her. He tells her parents she will be okay, but he is concerned. The doctor and the temple guard decide to be careful and keep it a secret while they try to figure out what happened.