Set during the Greek civil war. A villager is forced to leave his house and property and go to Thessaloniki with his daughter and son. They find refuge in an old building with hundreds of other people. They live a miserable life as the daughter becomes a whore, and the son has to work.

A conscientious tanker driver, Thanasis Papathanasis, works hard to help his sister Afroditi study medicine. He believes that in this way he will be able to marry her off so that then he can finally marry Eleni, whom he has loved for years. His efforts, however, are all in vain, as he is constantly confronted with a corrupt establishment and political situation that generate all the prevailing misfortunes: personal, social and national.

Looking forward to seeing his daughter, Maro, again, Antonis Papastafidas, a wealthy landowner from Amaliada, decides to pay her a visit in Athens. However, Maro, a beautiful medical student, is fine on her own. After all, she has a close friend: the spirited, voluptuous temptress, Pelagia "Peggy" Katsikogianni. Of course, it doesn't take long for Antonis to become infatuated with Peggy. Now, the grizzled Casanova must have her. But, what would Maro think of her naughty father?