As you enter Athens, you have one thing on your mind. Money. That's what you came here to make and that's what you plan on working on while you're there. You just purchased a large amount of timber in Sicily and are hoping to trade it for olive oil, which is trading at top dollar in Babylon. You stand to make a large amount of money off this transaction and won't let anything stand in your way.
As you walk through the streets, you notice that there seems to be less men here than there were the last time you visited Athens. Oh well, you figure, probably just some festival they're all attending. You keep moving through the streets until you arrive at the agora, the city's meeting place. Here, friends met to talk, politics were debated, and merchants sold their products. You hope to find a buyer for your timber there.
As you enter the market, everyone is talking in low whispers. You decide you'd better find out what's going on. You ask a local what everyone is talking about. The man tells you that the Persians are attacking Greece and many men have gone off to war. You decide that because you're not Greek, it doesn't matter to you. Besides, they were safe in Athens.
You decide to start trying to sell your timber. After about 20 minutes, a short greek man comes up to you. He offers you double what you'd been expecting to receive for the lumber. You agree to his offer and decide to meet him in a few days to exchange his money for your timber. With the deal done, you decide to find a place to stay and get some sleep.
The next morning you awake to the sound of someone screaming in the street. When the person passes your window, you ask him what's wrong. He tells you that the Persians have reached Thermopylae, a small city north of Athens, and are battling the Greeks there. If the Greeks lose that battle, the Persians next step will be Athens.
You must decide what to do. You would like to stay in town and get the money you deserve, but you also don't want to be caught in a city under siege. You feel Athens is a safe place to be, but aren't sure you'd risk your life on that fact.