The drama of a traditional Greek family, in Neochori, Crete, from the period of the German Occupation (1941) until the mid-1960s.

Michael Ftenoudos, an authoritarian family man, dies late during the years of the German Occupation (1941-1944). In the basement of his house hides Antonio, an Italian anti-fascist with whom his youngest daughter, Erato, is in love. When Erato becomes pregnant, her mother flees the Italian and decides to present the child as her own in order to avoid family tragedy and social outcry. After the death of their parents, Aspasia becomes the head of the family and with her oppressive behavior pushes Erato into a monastery. There she meets a friend of the abbess, Tagaris, who proposes to her. Erato marries Tagaris, but when he discovers that she is not a virgin, he sends her away. Erato sees Aspasia as the cause of all the suffering and returns home determined to kill her. But it is late. Aspasia has died of a heart attack. Seeing that her life has no meaning, Erato kills herself the day before the return of Antonio who comes to look for her.