Sophia Chrysanthis is in her 20s when the celebrated German archaeologist, Herr Obermann, seeks her out; he wants a Greek bride who is able to read Homer. Sophia passes his test, and soon she is tying canvas sacking to her legs so that she can kneel on the hard ground in the trench. Obermann is very good in the art of archaeology - perhaps too good. Obsessive and intuitive, he is a romantic visionary.