The film is loosely based on the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and the Titanomachy. Before the dawn of man and beast, Immortals waged war against each other in Heaven. The victors declared themselves gods while the vanquished were renamed the Titans and imprisoned beneath Mount Tartarus. The Epirus Bow, a weapon of immense power, was lost on Earth during the war.
In 1228 BC, King Hyperion[a] of Heraklion searches for the bow, intending to use it to release the Titans to get revenge on the gods for failing to save his family from disease. Hyperion captures the virgin oracle Phaedra, believing that she can use her visions to find the Epirus Bow’s resting place.
In a small village nearby, the inhabitants prepare to flee to Mount Tartarus to avoid Hyperion’s army. One inhabitant named Theseus is a skilled warrior trained by his mentor, a mysterious old man. Theseus and his mother Aethra, are considered undesirables because Theseus was born from Aethra being raped, and they are forced to stay behind by Athenian soldiers including Lysander. Theseus is able to beat multiple opponents until the Athenian officer Helios intervenes and discharges Lysander from the army for his actions. Lysander travels to Hyperion, offering his service and the village’s location. Hyperion accepts, but scars his face and crushes Lysander’s testicles for being a traitor. Hyperion’s forces attack Theseus’s village, murdering the villagers and Aethra, and taking Theseus captive.