The word "arete" means the highest degree of valor among the ancient Greeks. Latro, the hero of the novel, is truly a valiant warrior, but he has lost his memory. Every morning he forgets what he did yesterday, and if it weren’t for the friends who are always there for him and the diary that Latro keeps, he would not be able to survive in the war-torn Peloponnese. Latro becomes a full citizen of Sparta, but the gods lift the veil of oblivion for him: Latro is a Latin. And that means he will accomplish his feat if he frees his fellow citizens from slavery during the Olympic Games...But will his memory return?