Since its founding, the city of Alexandria had been the pinnacle of wisdom in the ancient world. A beacon of knowledge and research, it boasted the largest library the world had ever seen and attracted the greatest scholars of every generation.

But in the spring of 415 CE, a brutal slaying would irrevocably shatter this pristine image, when the city's leading philosopher was dragged through the streets and murdered by a mob of enraged fanatics.

This tragedy, and the events leading up to it, would lay bare the deep divides that threatened to tear the city apart. A clash of religions and social castes would culminate in the death of the woman who had dedicated her life to keeping the city whole.