Liakos is a poor shepherd boy who is in love with the beautiful village girl Diamanto, who reciprocates his feelings, but her mother does not want the brother of her husband's murderer as her son-in-law. When one day a wealthy local landowner, Lampis, asks for Diamanto's hand in marriage, her mother rushes to give her to him, unaware that Lampis is taking revenge on Liakos, whom Maro loves and with whom he himself is in love.

It is 1882, and while negotiations for the cession of Thessaly to Greece are underway, the bandit Stelios Karanasos and his men, taking advantage of the Ottomans' indifference to the region, plunder and terrorize the mountain villages. When his gang robs and burns down the house of the Zorba brothers, they kidnap Karanasos' sister, Krini, and demand a ransom for her release. During the three days she remained with them, Dimitros, the youngest of the four brothers, fell deeply in love with her. The feeling is mutual. After her release, Dimitros tries to visit her secretly at her home, but Karanasos captures him. His brothers then attack the house to free him and, during the clash, Karanasos is killed. Dimitrios and Krinio are now free to enjoy their union and live happily ever after.