Katina, an impoverished Greek woman, tries to arrange the marriage of her shepherd son, Thanos, to Despina, the daughter of a wealthy landowner. But Despina's father, Vlahopoulos, refuses to give his blessings and wants Despina to marry a wealthier gentleman named Yankos. The wealthy and spoiled Yankos plots to break up the romantic union between Thanos and Despina any way possible while the young lovers plot to run away in a futile attempt to begin a new life for themselves.
