Two generations have passed since the Greeks returned victorious from Troy. The rich and powerful Mycenean Empire feels impregnable. But danger is stirring on its borders. In Pylos, the kingdom of the renowned Nestor, his great-grandson Alkmaion, heir to his throne, is plagued by fears that he may not be able to live up to the heroic deeds of his ancestors. An accidental act of sacrilege in the worship of the Great Goddess sends him on a long voyage to seek purification, and in the course of his travels he encounters the tribe of the Dorians and realises that they are preparing for war. But can he rouse his complacent elders quickly enough to counter the threat?