Sword-and-sandal


Sword-and-sandal, also known as peplum, is a subgenre of largely Italian-made historical, mythological, or biblical epics mostly set in the Greco-Roman antiquity or the Middle Ages. These films attempted to emulate the big-budget Hollywood historical epics of the time, such as Samson and Delilah, Quo Vadis, The Robe, The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, Spartacus, and Cleopatra. These films dominated the Italian film industry from 1958 to 1965, eventually being replaced in 1965 by spaghetti Western and Eurospy films.
The term "peplum" was introduced by French film critics in the 1960s. The terms "peplum" and "sword-and-sandal" were used in a condescending way by film critics. Later, the terms were embraced by fans of the films, similar to the terms "spaghetti Western" or "shoot-'em-ups". In their English versions, peplum films can be immediately differentiated from their Hollywood counterparts by their use of "clumsy and inadequate" English language dubbing. A 100-minute documentary on the history of Italy's peplum genre was produced and directed by Antonio Avati in 1977 titled Kolossal: i magnifici Macisti.

Genre characteristics

Sword-and-sandal films are a specific class of Italian adventure films that have subjects set in Biblical or classical antiquity, often with plots based more or less loosely on Greco-Roman history or the other contemporary cultures of the time, such as the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Etruscans, as well as medieval times. Not all of the films were fantasy-based by any means. Many of the plots featured actual historical personalities such as Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and Hannibal, although great liberties were taken with the storylines. Gladiators and slaves rebelling against tyrannical rulers, pirates and swashbucklers were also popular subjects.
As Robert Rushing defines it, peplum, "in its most stereotypical form, depicts muscle-bound heroes in mythological antiquity, fighting fantastic monsters and saving scantily clad beauties. Rather than lavish epics set in the classical world, they are low-budget films that focus on the hero's extraordinary body." Thus, most sword-and-sandal films featured a superhumanly strong man as the protagonist, such as Hercules, Samson, Goliath, Ursus or Italy's own popular folk hero Maciste. In addition, the plots typically involved two women vying for the affection of the bodybuilder hero: the good love interest, and an evil femme fatale queen who sought to dominate the hero.
Also, the films typically featured an ambitious ruler who would ascend the throne by murdering those who stood in his path, and often it was only the muscular hero who could depose him. Thus the hero's often political goal: "to restore a legitimate sovereign against an evil dictator."
Many of the peplum films involved a clash between two populations, one civilized and the other barbaric, which typically included a scene of a village or city being burned to the ground by invaders. For their musical content, most films contained a colorful dancing girls sequence, meant to underline pagan decadence.

Precursors of the sword-and-sandal wave (pre-1958)

Italian films of the silent era

Italian filmmakers paved the way for the peplum genre with some of the earliest silent films dealing with the subject, including the following:The Sack of Rome Agrippina The Fall of Troy The Queen of Nineveh Brutus Quo Vadis Antony and Cleopatra Cabiria Julius Caesar Saffo The Crusaders Fabiola directed by Enrico GuazzoniAttila Venere Il mistero di Osiris directed by Antonio MolinariGiuliano l'Apostata Giuditta e Oloferne directed by Antonio MolinariThe Sack of Rome, directed by Enrico GuazzoniSamson (1923 film)Messalina, directed by Enrico Guazzoni

The silent Maciste films (1914–1927)

The 1914 Italian silent film Cabiria was one of the first films set in antiquity to make use of a massively muscled character, Maciste, who served in this premiere film as the hero's slavishly loyal sidekick. Maciste became the public's favorite character in the film however, and Pagano was called back many times to reprise the role. The Maciste character appeared in at least two dozen Italian silent films from 1914 through 1926, all of which featured a protagonist named Maciste although the films were set in many different time periods and geographical locations.
Here is a complete list of the silent Maciste films in chronological order:Cabiria introduced the Maciste characterMaciste "The Marvelous Maciste"Maciste bersagliere Maciste alpino Maciste atleta Maciste medium Maciste poliziotto Maciste turista Maciste sonnambulo La Rivincita di Maciste Il Testamento di Maciste Il Viaggio di Maciste Maciste I Maciste contro la morte Maciste innamorato Maciste in vacanza Maciste salvato dalle acque Maciste e la figlia del re della plata Maciste und die Japanerin Maciste contro Maciste Maciste und die chinesische truhe Maciste e il nipote di America Maciste imperatore Maciste contro lo sceicco Maciste all'inferno Maciste nella gabbia dei leoni
  • ''il Gigante delle Dolemite''

Italian fascist and post-war historical epics (1937-1956)

The Italian film industry released several historical films in the early sound era, such as the big-budget Scipione l'Africano in 1937, written by Mussolini's son Vittorio, and heavily financed by his fascist government. In 1949, the postwar Italian film industry remade Fabiola. The film was released in the United Kingdom and in the United States in 1951 in an edited, English-dubbed version. Fabiola was an Italian-French co-production similar to The Last Days of Pompeii and Messalina.
During the 1950s, a number of American historical epics shot in Italy were released. In 1951, MGM producer Sam Zimbalist cleverly used the lower production costs, use of frozen funds and the expertise of the Italian film industry to shoot the large-scale Technicolor epic Quo Vadis in Rome. In addition to its fictional account linking the Great Fire of Rome, the Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire and Emperor Nero, the film - following the novel "Quo vadis" by the Polish writer Henryk Sienkiewicz - featured also a mighty protagonist named Ursus. MGM also planned Ben Hur to be filmed in Italy as early as 1952.
Riccardo Freda's Sins of Rome was filmed in 1953 and released by RKO in an edited, English-dubbed version the following year. Unlike Quo Vadis, there were no American actors or production crew. The Anthony Quinn film Attila, the Kirk Douglas epic Ulysses and Helen of Troy were the first of the big peplum films of the 1950s. Riccardo Freda directed another peplum, Theodora, Slave Empress in 1954, starring his wife Gianna Maria Canale. Howard Hawks directed his Land of the Pharaohs in Italy and Egypt in 1955. Robert Rossen made his film Alexander the Great in Egypt in 1956, with a music score by famed Italian composer Mario Nascimbene.

The main sword-and-sandal period (1958-1965)

To cash in on the success of the Kirk Douglas film Ulysses, Pietro Francisci planned to make a film about Hercules, but searched unsuccessfully for years for a physically convincing yet experienced actor. His daughter spotted American bodybuilder Steve Reeves in the American film Athena and he was hired to play Hercules in 1957 when the film was made..
The genre's instantaneous growth began with the U.S. theatrical release of Hercules in 1959. American producer Joseph E. Levine acquired the U.S. distribution rights for $120,000, spent $1 million promoting the film and made more than $5 million profit. This spawned the 1959 Steve Reeves sequel Hercules Unchained, the 1959 re-release of Cecil B. DeMille's Samson and Delilah, and dozens of imitations that followed in their wake. Italian filmmakers resurrected their 1920s Maciste character in a brand new 1960s sound film series, followed rapidly by Ursus, Samson, Goliath and various other mighty-muscled heroes.
Almost all peplum films of this period featured bodybuilder stars, the most popular being Steve Reeves, Reg Park and Gordon Scott. Some of these stars, such as Mickey Hargitay, Reg Lewis, Mark Forest, Gordon Mitchell and Dan Vadis, had starred in Mae West's touring stage review in the United States in the 1950s. Bodybuilders of Italian origin, on the other hand, would adopt English pseudonyms for the screen; thus, stuntman Sergio Ciani became Alan Steel, and ex-gondolier Adriano Bellini was called Kirk Morris.
To be sure, many of the films enjoyed widespread popularity among general audiences, and had production values that were typical for popular films of their day. Some films included frequent re-use of the impressive film sets that had been created for Ben-Hur and Cleopatra.
Although many of the bigger budget pepla were released theatrically in the US, fourteen of them were released directly to Embassy Pictures television in a syndicated TV package called The Sons of Hercules. Since few American viewers had a familiarity with Italian film heroes such as Maciste or Ursus, the characters were renamed and the films molded into a series of sorts by splicing on the same opening and closing theme song and newly designed voice-over narration that attempted to link the protagonist of each film to the Hercules mythos. These films ran on Saturday afternoons in the 1960s.
Peplum films were, and still are, often ridiculed for their low budgets and bad English dubbing. The contrived plots, poorly overdubbed dialogue, novice acting skills of the bodybuilder leads, and primitive special effects that were often inadequate to depict the mythological creatures on screen all conspire to give these films a certain camp appeal now. In the 1990s, several of them have been subjects of riffing and satire in the United States comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000.
However, in the early 1960s, a group of French critics, mostly writing for the Cahiers du cinéma, such as Luc Moullet, started to celebrate the genre and some of its directors, including Vittorio Cottafavi, Riccardo Freda, Mario Bava, Pietro Francisci, Duccio Tessari, and Sergio Leone. Not only directors, but also some of the screenwriters, often put together in teams, worked past the typically formulaic plot structure to include a mixture of "bits of philosophical readings and scraps of psychoanalysis, reflections on the biggest political systems, the fate of the world and humanity, fatalistic notions of accepting the will of destiny and the gods, anthropocentric belief in the powers of the human physique, and brilliant syntheses of military treatises".
With reference to the genre's free use of ancient mythology and other influences, Italian director Vittorio Cottafavi, who directed a number of peplum films, used the term "neo-mythologism".

Hercules series (1958–1965)

A series of 19 Hercules movies were made in Italy in the late '50s and early '60s. The films were all sequels to the successful Steve Reeves peplum Hercules, but with the exception of Hercules Unchained, each film was a stand-alone story not connected to the others. The actors who played Hercules in these films were Steve Reeves followed by Gordon Scott, Kirk Morris, Mickey Hargitay, Mark Forest, Alan Steel, Dan Vadis, Brad Harris, Reg Park, Peter Lupus and Mike Lane. In a 1997 interview, Reeves said he felt his two Hercules films could not be topped by another sequel, so he declined to do any more Hercules films.
The films are listed below by their American release titles, and the titles in parentheses are their original Italian titles with an approximate English translation. Dates shown are the original Italian theatrical release dates, not the U.S. release dates.Hercules starring Steve ReevesHercules Unchained starring Steve ReevesGoliath and the Dragon starring Mark Forest as Hercules Hercules Vs The Hydra co-starring Mickey Hargitay and Jayne MansfieldHercules and the Captive Women starring Reg Park as Hercules Hercules in the Haunted World directed by Mario Bava, starring Reg Park as HerculesHercules in the Vale of Woe comedy starring Frank Gordon as Hercules, 1961Ulysses Against the Son of Hercules starring Mike Lane as Hercules, 1962The Fury of Hercules starring Brad Harris as Hercules, 1962 Hercules, Samson and Ulysses starring Kirk Morris as Hercules, 1963Hercules Against Moloch starring Gordon Scott as Hercules, 1963 Son of Hercules in the Land of Darkness starring Dan Vadis as Hercules, 1964..Hercules vs The Giant Warriors starring Dan Vadis as Hercules, 1964 Hercules Against Rome starring Alan Steel as Hercules, 1964Hercules Against the Sons of the Sun starring Mark Forest as Hercules, 1964Samson and His Mighty Challenge starring Alan Steel as Hercules, 1964 Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon starring Rock Stevens as Hercules, 1964Hercules and the Princess of Troy starring Gordon Scott as Hercules, 1965 Hercules the Avenger starring Reg Park as Hercules, 1965
A number of English-dubbed Italian films that featured the word "Hercules" in the title were not made as Hercules movies originally, such as:Hercules Against the Moon Men, Hercules Against the Barbarians, Hercules Against the Mongols and Hercules of the Desert were all originally Maciste films. Hercules and the Black Pirate and Hercules and the Treasure of the Incas were both re-titled Samson movies. Hercules, Prisoner of Evil was actually a re-titled Ursus film. Hercules and the Masked Rider was actually a re-titled Goliath movie.
None of these films in their original Italian versions involved the Hercules character in any way. Likewise, most of the Sons of Hercules movies shown on American TV in the 1960s had nothing to do with Hercules in their original Italian versions.

Goliath series (1959–1964)

The Italians used Goliath as the superhero protagonist in a series of adventure films in the early 1960s. He was a man possessed of amazing strength, although he seemed to be a different person in each film. After the classic Hercules became a blockbuster sensation in the film industry, a 1959 Steve Reeves film Il terrore dei barbari was re-titled Goliath and the Barbarians in the U.S. The film was so successful at the box office, it inspired Italian filmmakers to do a series of four more films featuring a generic beefcake hero named Goliath, although the films were not related to each other in any way.
The titles in the Italian Goliath adventure series were as follows: Il terrore dei barbari / Terror of the Barbarians, starring Steve Reeves as Goliath Goliath contro i giganti / Goliath Against the Giants starring Brad HarrisGoliath e la schiava ribelle / Goliath and the Rebel Slave starring Gordon ScottGolia e il cavaliere mascherato / Goliath and the Masked Rider starring Alan Steel Golia alla conquista di Bagdad / Conquest of Baghdad starring Rock Stevens
The name Goliath was also inserted into the English titles of three other Italian pepla that were re-titled for U.S. distribution in an attempt to cash in on the Goliath craze, but these films were not originally made as "Goliath movies" in Italy.
Both Goliath and the Vampires and Goliath and the Sins of Babylon actually featured the famed Italian folk hero Maciste in the original Italian versions, but American distributors did not feel the name "Maciste" meant anything to American audiences.
Goliath and the Dragon was originally an Italian Hercules movie called The Revenge of Hercules, but it was re-titled Goliath and the Dragon in the U.S. since at the time Goliath and the Barbarians was breaking box-office records, and the distributors may have thought the name "Hercules" was trademarked by distributor Joseph E. Levine.

Maciste series (1960–1965)

There were a total of 25 Maciste films from the 1960s peplum craze. By 1960, seeing how well the two Steve Reeves Hercules films were doing at the box office, Italian producers decided to revive the 1920s silent film character Maciste in a new series of color/sound films. Unlike the other Italian peplum protagonists, Maciste found himself in a variety of time periods ranging from the Ice Age to 16th century Scotland. Maciste was never given an origin, and the source of his mighty powers was never revealed. However, in the first film of the 1960s series, he mentions to another character that the name "Maciste" means "born of the rock". One of the 1920s silent Maciste films was actually titled The Giant from the Dolomite, hinting that Maciste may be more god than man, which would explain his great strength.

The first title listed for each film is the film's original Italian title along with its English translation, while the U.S. release title follows in bold type in parentheses :Maciste nella valle dei re / Maciste in the Valley of the Kings Maciste the Mighty, Maciste the Giant, starring Mark ForestMaciste nella terra dei ciclopi / Maciste in the Land of the Cyclops starring Gordon MitchellMaciste contro il vampiro / Maciste Vs. the Vampire starring Gordon ScottIl trionfo di Maciste / The Triumph of Maciste starring Kirk MorrisMaciste alla corte del gran khan / Maciste at the Court of the Great Khan starring Gordon ScottMaciste, l'uomo più forte del mondo / Maciste, the Strongest Man in the World starring Mark ForestMaciste contro Ercole nella valle dei guai / Maciste Against Hercules in the Vale of Woe starring Kirk Morris as Maciste; this was a satire/spoof featuring the comedy team of Franco and CiccioTotò contro Maciste / Totò vs. Maciste starring Samson Burke; this was a comedy satirizing the peplum genre and was never distributed in the U.S.; it is apparently not even available in EnglishMaciste all'inferno / Maciste in Hell starring Kirk MorrisMaciste contro lo sceicco / Maciste Against the Sheik starring Ed FuryMaciste, il gladiatore piu forte del mondo / Maciste, the World's Strongest Gladiator starring Mark ForestMaciste contro i mostri / Maciste Against the Monsters starring Reg LewisMaciste contro i cacciatori di teste / Maciste Against the Headhunters starring Kirk Morris; Fury of the HeadhuntersMaciste, l'eroe piu grande del mondo / Maciste, the World's Greatest Hero starring Mark ForestZorro contro Maciste / Zorro Against Maciste starring Alan SteelMaciste contro i mongoli / Maciste Against the Mongols starring Mark ForestMaciste nell'inferno di Gengis Khan / Maciste in Genghis Khan's Hell starring Mark ForestMaciste alla corte dello zar / Maciste at the Court of the Czar starring Kirk Morris Maciste, gladiatore di Sparta / Maciste, Gladiator of Sparta starring Mark ForestMaciste nelle miniere de re salomone / Maciste in King Solomon's Mines starring Reg ParkMaciste e la regina de Samar / Maciste and the Queen of Samar starring Alan SteelLa valle dell'eco tonante / Valley of the Thundering Echo starring Kirk Morris, Desert Raiders, in France as Maciste and the Women of the ValleySansone, Maciste e Ursus: gli invincibili / Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: The Invincibles starring Renato Rossini as Maciste Gli invicibili fratelli Maciste / The Invincible Maciste Brothers The Invincible Gladiators, starring Richard Lloyd as MacisteMaciste il Vendicatore dei Mayas / Maciste, Avenger of the Mayans
In 1973, the Spanish cult film director Jesus Franco directed two low-budget "Maciste films" for French producers: Maciste contre la Reine des Amazones and Les exploits érotiques de Maciste dans l'Atlantide. The films had almost identical casts, both starring Val Davis as Maciste, and appear to have been shot back-to-back. The former was distributed in Italy as a "Karzan" movie, while the latter film was released only in France with hardcore inserts as Les Gloutonnes. These two films were totally unrelated to the 1960s Italian Maciste series.

Ursus series (1960–1964)

Following Buddy Baer's portrayal of Ursus in the classic 1951 film Quo Vadis, Ursus was used as a superhuman Roman-era character who became the protagonist in a series of Italian adventure films made in the early 1960s.
When the "Hercules" film craze hit in 1959, Italian filmmakers were looking for other muscleman characters similar to Hercules whom they could exploit, resulting in the nine-film Ursus series listed below. Ursus was referred to as a "Son of Hercules" in two of the films when they were dubbed in English, although in the original Italian films, Ursus had no connection to Hercules whatsoever. In the English-dubbed version of one Ursus film, Ursus was actually referred to throughout the entire film as "Hercules".
There were a total of nine Italian films that featured Ursus as the main character, listed below as follows: Italian title / English translation of the Italian title ;Ursus / Ursus Mighty Ursus, starring Ed FuryLa Vendetta di Ursus / The Revenge of Ursus starring Samson BurkeUrsus e la Ragazza Tartara / Ursus and the Tartar Girl The Tartar Invasion, The Tartar Girl; starring Joe Robinson, Akim Tamiroff, Yoko Tani; directed by Remigio Del GrossoUrsus Nella Valle dei Leoni / Ursus in the Valley of the Lions starring Ed Fury; this film revealed the origin story of UrsusUrsus il gladiatore ribelle / Ursus the Rebel Gladiator starring Dan VadisUrsus Nella Terra di Fuoco / Ursus in the Land of Fire Son of Atlas in the Land of Fire; starring Ed FuryUrsus il terrore dei Kirghisi / Ursus, the Terror of the Kirghiz starring Reg ParkErcole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus: gli invincibili / Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: The Invincibles starring Yan Larvor as Ursus Gli Invincibili Tre / The Invincible Three starring Alan Steel as Ursus

Samson series (1961–1964)

A character named Samson was featured in a series of five Italian peplum films in the 1960s, no doubt inspired by the 1959 re-release of the epic Victor Mature film Samson and Delilah. The character was similar to the Biblical Samson in the third and fifth films only; in the other three, he just appears to be a very strong man.
The titles are listed as follows: Italian title / its English translation ;Sansone / Samson (1961 Italian film) 1961, starring Brad HarrisSansone contro i pirati / Samson Against the Pirates 1963, starring Kirk MorrisErcole sfida Sansone / Hercules challenges Samson 1963, starring Richard LloydSansone contro il corsaro nero / Samson Against the Black Pirate 1963, starring Alan SteelErcole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus: gli invincibili / Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: The Invincibles 1964, starring Nadir Baltimore as Samson
The name Samson was also inserted into the U.S. titles of six other Italian movies when they were dubbed in English for U.S. distribution, although these films actually featured the adventures of the famed Italian folk hero Maciste.
Samson Against the Sheik, Son of Samson, Samson and the Slave Queen, Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World, Samson vs. the Giant King, and Samson in King Solomon's Mines were all re-titled Maciste movies, because the American distributors did not feel the name Maciste was marketable to U.S. filmgoers.
Samson and the Treasure of the Incas sounds like a peplum title, but was actually a spaghetti Western.

''The Sons of Hercules'' (TV syndication package)

The Sons of Hercules was a syndicated television show that aired in the United States in the 1960s. The series repackaged 14 randomly chosen Italian peplum films by unifying them with memorable title and end title theme songs and a standard voice-over intro relating the main hero in each film to Hercules any way they could. In some regions, each film was split into two one-hour episodes, so the 14 films were shown as 28 weekly episodes. None of the films were ever theatrically released in the U.S.
The films are not listed in chronological order, since they were not really related to each other in any way. The first title listed below for each film was its American broadcast television title, followed in parentheses by the English translation of its original Italian theatrical title:Ursus, Son of Hercules 1961, starring Ed Fury, Mighty Ursus in EnglandMole Men vs the Son of Hercules 1961, starring Mark ForestTriumph of the Son of Hercules 1961, starring Kirk MorrisFire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules 1962, starring Reg LewisVenus Against the Son of Hercules 1962, starring Roger BrowneUlysses Against the Son of Hercules 1962, starring Mike LaneMedusa Against the Son of Hercules 1962, starring Richard HarrisonSon of Hercules in the Land of Fire 1963, starring Ed FuryTyrant of Lydia Against The Son of Hercules 1963, starring Gordon ScottMessalina Against the Son of Hercules 1963, starring Richard HarrisonThe Beast of Babylon Against the Son of Hercules 1963, starring Gordon Scott, Goliath, King of the SlavesTerror of Rome Against the Son of Hercules 1964, starring Mark ForestSon of Hercules in the Land of Darkness 1964, starring Dan VadisDevil of the Desert Against the Son of Hercules 1964, starring Kirk Morris, directed by Antonio Margheriti, The Slave Merchants, ''Soraya, Queen of the Desert''

Steve Reeves sword-and-sandal films in chronological order of production

Steve Reeves appeared in 14 sword-and-sandal films made in Italy from 1958 to 1964 and most of his films are highly regarded examples of the genre. His films are listed below in order of production, not in order of release. The U.S. release titles are shown below, followed by the original Italian title and its translation Hercules actually filmed in 1957, released in Italy in 1958, released in the U.S. in 1959Hercules Unchained released in the U.S. in 1960Goliath and the Barbarians The Giant of Marathon The Last Days of Pompeii The White Warrior directed by Riccardo FredaMorgan, the Pirate The Thief of Baghdad The Trojan Horse Duel of the Titans The Slave The Avenger The Last Glory of Troy; Sandokan the Great directed by Umberto LenziPirates of Malaysia Sandokan, the Pirate of Malaysia, Pirates of the Seven Seas; this was a sequel to Sandokan the Great, directed by Umberto Lenzi

Other (non-series) Italian pepla

There were many 1950s and 1960s Italian pepla that did not feature a major superhero, and as such they fall into a sort of miscellaneous category. Many were of the Cappa e spada variety, though they often feature well-known characters such as Ali Baba, Julius Caesar, Ulysses, Cleopatra, the Three Musketeers, Zorro, Theseus, Perseus, Achilles, Robin Hood, and Sandokan. The first really successful Italian films of this kind were Black Eagle and Fabiola.Adventurer of Tortuga, The, starring Guy MadisonAdventures of Mandrin, The Captain Adventure ''Don Juan's Night of Love The Affair of Madame Pompadour, starring Raf Vallone and Silvana Pampanini,Adventures of Scaramouche, The The Mask of Scaramouche, starring Gérard Barray and Gianna Maria CanaleAlexander The Great, starring Richard Burton Ali Baba and the Sacred Crown The Seven Tasks of Ali Baba, starring Richard LloydAli Baba and the Seven Saracens Sinbad Against the Seven Saracens, starring Gordon MitchellAlone Against Rome Vengeance of the Gladiators, starring Lang Jeffries and Rossana PodestàAnthar the Invincible Devil of the Desert Against the Son of Hercules, starring Kirk Morris, directed by Antonio MargheritiAntigone Rites for the Dead, starring Irene Papas, a Greek productionArena, The Naked Warriors, directed by Steve Carver and Joe D'Amato, starring Pam Grier and Margaret Markov Arms of the Avenger The Devils of Spartivento/ The Fighting Legions, starring John Drew BarrymoreAtlas Atlas, the Winner of Athena, directed in Greece by Roger Corman, starring Michael ForestAttack of the Moors The Kings of FranceAttack of the Normans The Normans, The Vikings Attack; starring Cameron MitchellAttila, directed by Pietro Francisci, starring Anthony Quinn and Sophia LorenAvenger of the Seven Seas Executioner of the Seas, starring Richard Harrison and Michèle MercierAvenger of Venice, The, starring Brett Halsey and Gianna Maria CanaleBacchantes, The, starring Pierre Brice and Akim TamiroffBalboa Conquistadors of the PacificBarabbas produced by Dino de Laurentiis, starring Anthony Quinn, filmed in ItalyBattle of the Amazons Amazons: Women of Love and War, Beauty of the Barbarian Beatrice Cenci directed by Riccardo FredaBeatrice Cenci directed by Lucio FulciBehind the Mask of Zorro The Oath of Zorro, Tony RusselBible, The, Dino de Laurentiis, Ennio Morricone music, filmed in ItalyBlack Archer, The Black Devil, The starred Gerard LandryBlack Duke, The, starring Cameron MitchellBlack Eagle, The Return of the Black Eagle, directed by Riccardo FredaBlack Lancers, The Charge of the Black Lancers, Mel FerrerBrennus, Enemy of Rome Battle of the Valiant, Gordon MitchellBurning of Rome, The The Magnificent Adventurer, Brett HalseyCaesar the Conqueror, starring Cameron MitchellCaptain Falcon Lex BarkerCaptain from Toledo Captain of Iron, The Revenge of the Mercenaries, Barbara SteeleCaptain Phantom Captains of Adventure starring Paul Muller, Gerard LandryCarthage in Flames Castillian, The Cesare RomeroCatherine of Russia directed by Umberto LenziCavalier in the Devil's Castle Centurion, The The Conqueror of CorinthChallenge of the Gladiator Peter LupusCleopatra's Daughter The Tomb of the Kings, Debra PagetColossus and the Amazon Queen, Ed Fury and Rod TaylorColossus of Rhodes, The directed by Sergio LeoneConqueror of Atlantis The Kingdom in the Sand, Kirk Morris Conqueror of Maracaibo, The Eugenio Martin Conqueror of the Orient, The starring Rik BattagliaConstantine and the Cross Constantine the Great, starring Cornel WildeCoriolanus: Hero without a Country Thunder of Battle, Gordon ScottCossacks, The Edmund PurdomThe Count of Bragelonne The Last Musketeer, starring Georges MarchalCount of Monte Cristo, The Louis JourdanDamon and Pythias The Tyrant of Syracuse, Guy WilliamsDavid and Goliath Orson WellesDefeat of Hannibal, The Scipione l'AfricanoDefeat of the Barbarians King ManfredDesert Desperadoes Akim TamiroffDesert Warrior The Desert Lovers, Ricardo MontalbanDevil Made a Woman, The A Girl Against NapoleonDevil's Cavaliers, The Diary of a Roman Virgin Livia, una vergine per l'impero romano, directed by Joe D'Amato and The Arena )Dragon's Blood, The Sigfrido, based on the legend of the Niebelungen, special effects by Carlo RambaldiDuel of Champions Horatio and Curiazi, Alan LaddErik the Conqueror Gli Invasori/ The Invaders, directed by Mario Bava, starring Cameron MitchellEsther and the King Joan Collins, Richard EganExecutioner of Venice, The Lex Barker, Guy MadisonFabiola The Fighting GladiatorFalcon of the Desert, The The Magnificent Challenge, starring Kirk MorrisFall of Rome, The directed by Antonio MargheritiFall of the Roman Empire, The U.S. production filmed in Spain, Sophia LorenFire Over Rome Fury of Achilles, The Gordon MitchellFury of the Pagans Fury of the BarbariansGiant of Metropolis, The Gordon Mitchell Giant of the Evil Island Mystery of the Cursed Island, Peter LupusGiants of Rome directed by Antonio Margheriti, starring Richard HarrisonGiants of Thessaly, The directed by Riccardo FredaGladiator of Rome Battle of the Gladiators, Gordon ScottGladiators Seven The Seven Gladiators, Richard HarrisonGolden Arrow, The directed by Antonio MargheritiGold for the Caesars Jeffrey HunterGolgotha Behold the Man Guns of the Black Witch Terror of the Sea, Don MegowanHannibal Victor MatureHawk of the Caribbean The Caribbean HawkHead of a Tyrant Judith and HolophernesHelen of Troy starring Jacques SernasHero of Babylon The Beast of Babylon vs. the Son of Hercules, Gordon ScottHero of Rome The Colossus of Rome, Gordon ScottHerod the Great Huns, The Queen of the TartarsInvasion 1700 With Iron and Fire, With Fire and Sword, Daggers of BloodIvanhoe, the Norman Swordsman La spada normanna, directed by Roberto MauriInvincible Gladiator, The Richard HarrisonThe Invincible Masked Rider Terror of the Black MaskThe Iron Swordsman Count Ugolino, directed by Riccardo FredaJacob, The Man Who Fought with God Julius Caesar Against the Pirates Gordon MitchellKampf um Rom The Last Roman, starring Laurence Harvey, Honor Blackman, Orson WellesKindar, the Invulnerable Mark ForestKing of the Vikings Prince in Chains, TheKnight of a Hundred Faces, The The Silver Knight, Knight of a Thousand Faces, The, starring Lex BarkerKnights of Terror Terror of the Red Capes, Tony RusselKnight Without a Country The Faceless RiderKnives of the Avenger Viking Massacre, directed by Mario Bava, starring Cameron MitchellLast Gladiator, The Messalina Against the Son of HerculesLast of the Vikings, The, starring Cameron MitchellLegions of the Nile The Legions of CleopatraLion of St. Mark, The Gordon ScottLion of Thebes, The Helen of Troy, Mark ForestLoves of Salammbo, The SalamboMagnificent Gladiator, The Mark ForestMarco Polo Rory CalhounMarco the Magnificent Anthony Quinn, Orson WellesMars, God of War Venus Against the Son of HerculesMasked Man Against the Pirates, The Massacre in the Black Forest, starring Cameron MitchellMessalina Belinda LeeMichael Strogoff Revolt of the TartarsMighty Crusaders, The Jerusalem Set Free, Gianna Maria CanaleMinotaur, The Theseus Against the Minotaur, The Warlord of CreteMiracle of the Wolves Blood on his Sword, starring Jean MaraisMissione sabbie roventi starring Renato Rossini, directed by Alfonso BresciaMongols, The directed by Riccardo Freda, starring Jack PalanceMoses the Lawgiver aka Moses in Egypt, starring Burt Lancaster, Anthony Quayle also released theatricallyMusketeers of the Sea My Son, the Hero Arrivano i Titani, The TitansMysterious Rider, The directed by Riccardo FredaMysterious Swordsman, The starring Gerard LandryNero and the Burning of Rome Nero and MessalinaNight of the Great Attack Revenge of the BorgiasNight They Killed Rasputin, The The Last CzarNights of Lucretia Borgia, The Odyssey, The L'Odissea, Cyclops segment directed by Mario Bava; Samson Burke played Polyphemus the CyclopsOld Testament, The starred Brad HarrisPerseus the Invincible Medusa vs. the Son of HerculesPharaoh's Woman, The Pia of Ptolomey Pirate and the Slave Girl, The Scimitar of the Saracen, Lex BarkerPirate of the Black Hawk, The Gérard LandryPirate of the Half Moon Pirates of the Coast Lex BarkerPontius Pilate Basil RathbonePrince with the Red Mask, The The Red Eagle, starring Frank LatimorePrisoner of the Iron Mask, The The Revenge of the Iron MaskPugni, Pirati e Karatè Fists, Pirates and Karate, directed by Joe D'Amato, starring Richard Harrison Queen for Caesar, A Gordon ScottQueen of Sheba directed by Pietro FrancisciQueen of the Amazons Colossus and the Amazon QueenQueen of the Nile Nefertiti, Vincent PriceQueen of the Pirates The Venus of the Pirates, Gianna Maria CanaleQueen of the Seas directed by Umberto LenziQuo Vadis filmed in Italy, Sergio Leone asst. dir.Rage of the Buccaneers Gordon, The Black Pirate, starring Vincent PriceRape of the Sabine Women, The Romulus and the Sabines, Roger MooreRed Cloak, The Bruce CabotRed Sheik, The Return of the Gladiator Three Giants of the Roman Empire, starring Brad HarrisRevak the Rebel The Barbarians, Jack PalanceRevenge of Black Eagle, The Gianna Maria CanaleRevenge of Ivanhoe, The Rik BattagliaRevenge of the Barbarians Revenge of the Black Eagle directed by Riccardo FredaRevenge of the Conquered Drakut the AvengerRevenge of the Gladiators starring Roger BrowneRevenge of the Gladiators starring Mickey HargitayRevenge of the Musketeers Dartagnan vs. the Three Musketeers, starring Fernando LamasRevolt of the Barbarians directed by Guido MalatestaRevolt of the Mercenaries Revolt of the Praetorians The Invincible Warriors, starring Richard HarrisonRevolt of the Slaves, The Rhonda FlemingRobin Hood and the Pirates Lex BarkerRoland the Mighty Orlando, directed by Pietro FrancisciRome Against Rome War of the ZombiesRome 1585 The Mercenaries, Debra PagetRover, The The Adventurer, starring Anthony QuinnSack of Rome, The The Barbarians, The PagansSamson and Gideon Fernando Rey, Biblical filmSandokan Fights Back Sandokan to the Rescue, The Revenge of SandokanSandokan Against the Leopard of Sarawak Throne of VengeanceSaracens, The The Devil's Pirate, The Flag of Death, starring Richard HarrisonSaul and David Shéhérazade starring Anna KarinaSea Pirate, The Thunder Over the Indian Ocean, Surcouf, Hero of the Seven SeasSecret Mark of D'Artagnan, The Secret Seven, The The Invincible SevenSeven from Thebes Seven Rebel Gladiators Seven Against All, starring Roger BrowneSeven Revenges, The The Seven Challenges, Ivan the Conqueror, starring Ed FurySeven Seas to Calais Sir Francis Drake, King of the Seven Seas, Rod TaylorSeven Slaves Against the World Seven Slaves Against Rome, starring Roger Browne and Gordon MitchellSeven Tasks of Ali Baba, The Ali Baba and the Sacred CrownSeventh Sword, The Brett Halsey79 A.D., the Destruction of Herculaneum Brad HarrisShadow of Zorro, The Sheba and the Gladiator The Sign of Rome, Sign of the Gladiator, Anita EkbergSiege of Syracuse Tina LouiseSimbad e il califfo di Bagdad directed by Pietro FrancisciSins of Rome Spartacus, directed by Riccardo FredaSlave Girls of Sheba starring Linda CristalSlave of Rome starring Guy MadisonSlave Queen of Babylon Yvonne FurneauxSlaves of Carthage, The The Sword and the Cross, Gianna Maria Canale Sodom and Gomorrah Rosanna Podesta, U.S./Italian film shot in Italy, co-directed by Sergio LeoneSon of Black Eagle, The Son of Captain Blood, The Son of Cleopatra, The Mark DamonSon of d'Artagnan directed by Riccardo FredaSon of El Cid, The 100 Horsemen, Mark DamonSon of the Red Corsair a.k.a. Son of the Red Pirate, Lex BarkerSon of the Sheik Kerim, Son of the Sheik, starring Gordon ScottSpartacus and the Ten Gladiators Ten Invincible Gladiators, starring Dan VadisSpartan Gladiator, The Tony RusselStory of Joseph and his Brethren, The Suleiman the Conqueror Sword and the Cross, The Mary MagdaleneSword in the Shadow, A starring Livio LorenzonSword of Damascus, The The Thief of DamascusSword of El Cid, The The Daughters of El CidSword of Islam, The Sword of the Conqueror Rosamund and Alboino, Jack PalanceSword of the Empire Sword of the Rebellion, The The Rebel of CastelmonteSwordsman of Siena The MercenarySword of Vengeance La spada della vendettaSword Without a Country Sword Without a FlagTartars, The starring Victor MatureTaras Bulba, the Cossack Plains of BattleTaur, the Mighty Tor the Warrior, Taur, the King of Brute Force, starring Joe RobinsonTemple of the White Elephant Sandok, the Giant of the Jungle, Sandok, the Maciste of the Jungle Ten Gladiators, The starring Dan VadisTerror of the Red Mask starring Lex BarkerTerror of the Steppes The Mighty Khan, Kirk MorrisTharus Son of Attila Colossus and the Huns, Ricardo MontalbanTheodora, Slave Empress directed by Riccardo FredaThor and the Amazon Women starring Joe RobinsonThree Hundred Spartans, The starring Richard Egan; U.S. film filmed in Greece using Italian screenwritersThree Swords for Rome starring Roger BrowneThree Swords of Zorro, The Tiger of the Seven Seas Treasure of the Petrified Forest, The starring Gordon MitchellTriumph of Robin Hood, The starring Samson BurkeTriumph of the Ten Gladiators starring Dan VadisTwo Gladiators, The Fight or Die, starring Richard HarrisonTyrant of Castile, The starring Mark DamonUlysses produced by Dino De Laurentiis, starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony QuinnVirgins of Rome, The Amazons of RomeVulcan, Son of Jupiter Vulcan, Son of Jove, Gordon Mitchell, Richard Lloyd, Roger BrowneWar Goddess The Bare-Breasted Warriors, Le guerriere dal seno nudo, directed by Terence YoungWar Gods of Babylon The Seventh Thunderbolt, The Seven Glories of AssurWarrior and the Slave Girl, The The Revolt of the Gladiators, starring Gianna Maria CanaleWarrior Empress, The Sappho, Venus of Lesbos, Kerwin Mathews, Tina LouiseWhite Slave Ship directed by Silvio AmadioWomen of Devil's Island starring Guy MadisonWonders of Aladdin, The starring Donald O'ConnorZorikan the Barbarian starring Dan VadisZorro Alain DelonZorro and the Three Musketeers Mask of the Musketeers, starring Gordon ScottZorro in the Court of England starring Spiros FocásZorro at the Court of Spain The Masked Conqueror, George ArdissonZorro of Monterrey El Zorro de Monterrey, Carlos QuineyZorro, Rider of Vengeance Carlos QuineyZorro's Last Adventure La última aventura del Zorro, Carlos QuineyZorro the Avenger The Revenge of Zorro, Frank LatimoreZorro the Avenger El Zorro justiciero starring Fabio TestiZorro the Fox El Zorro, George ArdissonZorro, the Navarra Marquis Nino VingelliZorro the Rebel Howard RossZorro Against Maciste Samson and the Slave Queen'' starring Pierre Brice, Alan Steel

Gladiator films

Inspired by the success of Spartacus, there were a number of Italian peplums that heavily emphasized the gladiatorial arena in their plots, with it becoming almost a peplum subgenre in itself. One group of supermen known as "The Ten Gladiators" appeared in a trilogy, all three films starring Dan Vadis in the lead role.Alone Against Rome Vengeance of the GladiatorsThe Arena Naked Warriors, co-directed by Joe D'Amato, starring Pam Grier, Paul Muller and Rosalba NeriChallenge of the Gladiator starring Peter Lupus Fabiola The Fighting GladiatorGladiator of Rome Battle of the Gladiators, starring Gordon ScottGladiators Seven The Seven Gladiators, starring Richard HarrisonInvincible Gladiator, The Richard HarrisonLast Gladiator, The Messalina Against the Son of HerculesMaciste, Gladiator of Sparta Terror of Rome Against the Son of HerculesRevenge of the Gladiators, starring Roger BrowneRevenge of the Gladiators starring Mickey HargitayRevolt of the Seven The Spartan Gladiator, starring Tony Russel and Helga LineRevolt of the Slaves Rhonda FlemingSeven Rebel Gladiators Seven Against All, starring Roger BrowneSeven Slaves Against the World Seven Slaves Against Rome, The Strongest Slaves in the World, starring Roger Browne and Gordon MitchellSheba and the Gladiator The Sign of Rome, Sign of the Gladiator, Anita EkbergSins of Rome Spartacus, directed by Riccardo FredaSlave, The Son of Spartacus, Steve ReevesSpartacus and the Ten Gladiators Ten Invincible Gladiators, Dan VadisSpartan Gladiator, The Tony RusselTen Gladiators, The Dan VadisTriumph of the Ten Gladiators Dan VadisTwo Gladiators, The Fight or Die, Richard HarrisonUrsus, the Rebel Gladiator Rebel Gladiators, Dan VadisWarrior and the Slave Girl, The The Revolt of the Gladiators, Gianna Maria Canale

Ancient Rome

Brennus, Enemy of Rome Battle of the Valiant, Gordon MitchellCaesar Against the Pirates Gordon MitchellCaesar the Conqueror Cameron Mitchell, Rik BattagliaCarthage in Flames Cartagine in fiamme, directed by Carmine GalloneCenturion The The Conqueror of CorinthColossus of Rhodes, The directed by Sergio LeoneConstantine and the Cross Constantine the GreatCoriolanus: Hero without a Country Thunder of Battle, Gordon ScottDiary of a Roman Virgin Livia, una vergine per l'impero romano, directed by Joe D'Amato and The Arena )Duel of Champions Horatio and Curiazi, Alan LaddDuel of the Titans Romulus and Remus, Steve Reeves, Gordon ScottFall of Rome, The directed by Antonio MargheritiFire Over Rome Giants of Rome directed by Antonio Margheriti, starring Richard HarrisonGold for the Caesars Jeffrey HunterHannibal Victor MatureHero of Rome The Colossus of Rome, Gordon ScottKampf um Rom The Last Roman, starring Laurence Harvey, Honor Blackman, Orson WellesLast Days of Pompeii Steve ReevesMassacre in the Black Forest Cameron MitchellMessalina Nero and the Burning of Rome Nero and MessalinaQuo Vadis assistant director Sergio LeoneRape of the Sabine Women, The Roger MooreRevenge of Spartacus, The Roger BrowneRevenge of the Barbarians Revolt of the Praetorians Richard HarrisonRome Against Rome War of the ZombiesThe Secret Seven The Invincible Seven79 A.D., the Destruction of Herculaneum Brad HarrisSheba and the Gladiator The Sign of Rome, Sign of the Gladiator, Anita EkbergSins of Rome Spartaco, directed by Riccardo FredaThe Slave of Rome starring Guy MadisonSlaves of Carthage, The The Sword and the Cross, Gianna Maria Canale Sword of the Empire directed by Sergio GriecoTheodora, Slave Empress directed by Riccardo FredaThree Swords for Rome Roger BrowneVirgins of Rome, The ''Amazons of Rome''

Greek mythology

The Avenger Legend of Aeneas, Steve ReevesAlexander The Great U.S. film with music score by Mario NascimbeneAntigone Rites for the Dead, a Greek productionBacchantes, The Battle of the Amazons Amazons: Women of Love and War, Beauty of the Barbarian The Colossus of Rhodes directed by Sergio LeoneConqueror of Atlantis starring Kirk MorrisDamon and Pythias Guy WilliamsFury of Achilles Gordon MitchellGiant of Marathon Steve ReevesGiants of Thessaly directed by Riccardo FredaHelen of Troy directed by Robert WiseHercules Challenges Samson Hercules, Samson and UlyssesLion of Thebes, The Helen of Troy, Mark ForestMars, God of War Venus Against the Son of HerculesThe Minotaur Theseus Against the Minotaur, The Warlord of CreteMy Son, the Hero Arrivano i Titani, The TitansOdyssey, The Cyclops segment directed by Mario Bava; Samson Burke played Polyphemus the CyclopsPerseus the Invincible Medusa vs. the Son of HerculesQueen of the Amazons Colossus and the Amazon QueenSeven from Thebes André LawrenceSiege of Syracuse, The Tina LouiseTreasure of the Petrified Forest Gordon Mitchell Trojan Horse, The The Trojan War, Steve ReevesUlysses starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony QuinnVulcan, Son of Jupiter Vulcan, Son of Jove, Gordon Mitchell, Richard Lloyd, Roger BrowneWarrior Empress, The Sappho, Venus of Lesbos'', Kerwin Mathews, Tina Louise

Barbarian and Viking films

Attack of the Normans The Normans, Cameron MitchellAttila directed by Pietro Francisci, Anthony Quinn, Sophia LorenThe Cossacks Defeat of the Barbarians King ManfredDragon's Blood, The Sigfrido, based on the legend of the Niebelungen, special effects by Carlo RambaldiErik the Conqueror The Invaders, directed by Mario Bava, starring Cameron MitchellFury of the Pagans Fury of the BarbariansGoliath and the Barbarians Terror of the Barbarians, Steve ReevesThe Huns Queen of the TartarsInvasion 1700 With Iron and Fire, With Fire and Sword, Daggers of BloodKing of the Vikings The Prince in ChainsThe Last of the Vikings starring Cameron Mitchell and Broderick CrawfordMarco Polo Rory CalhounMarco the Magnificent Anthony Quinn, Orson WellesMichel Strogoff Revolt of the TartarsThe Mongols starring Jack PalanceRevak the Rebel The Barbarians, Jack PalanceRevolt of the Barbarians directed by Guido MalatestaRoland the Mighty directed by Pietro FrancisciSaracens, The The Devil's Pirate, The Flag of DeathThe Seven Revenges The Seven Challenges, Ivan the Conqueror, starring Ed FurySuleiman the Conqueror Sword of the Conqueror Rosamund and Alboino, Jack PalanceTaras Bulba, The Cossack Plains of BattleThe Tartars Victor Mature, Orson WellesTerror of the Steppes The Mighty Khan, starring Kirk MorrisTharus Son of Attila Colossus and the Huns, Ricardo MontalbanZorikan the Barbarian Dan Vadis

Swashbucklers / pirates

Adventurer of Tortuga starring Guy MadisonAdventures of Mandrin, The Captain AdventureAdventures of Scaramouche, The The Mask of Scaramouche, Gianna Maria CanaleArms of the Avenger The Devils of Spartivento, starring John Drew BarrymoreAt Sword's Edge dir. by Carlo Ludovico BragagliaAttack of the Moors The Kings of FranceAvenger of the Seven Seas Executioner of the Seas, Richard HarrisonAvenger of Venice, The directed by Riccardo Freda, starring Brett HalseyBalboa Conquistadors of the PacificBeatrice Cenci directed by Riccardo FredaBeatrice Cenci directed by Lucio FulciBehind the Mask of Zorro The Oath of Zorro, Tony RusselBlack Archer, The Gerard LandryBlack Devil, The Gerard LandryBlack Duke, The Cameron MitchellBlack Eagle, The Return of the Black Eagle, directed by Riccardo FredaBlack Lancers, The Charge of the Black Lancers, Mel FerrerCaptain from Toledo, The Captain of Iron, The Revenge of the Mercenaries, Barbara SteeleCaptain Phantom Captains of Adventure starring Paul Muller and Gerard LandryCaribbean Hawk, The Yvonne MonlaurCastillian, The Cesare Romero, U.S./Spanish co-productionCatherine of Russia directed by Umberto LenziCavalier in Devil's Castle Cavalier of Devil's IslandConqueror of Maracaibo, The The Count of Braggalone aka The Last Musketeer, starring Georges MarchalCount of Monte Cristo, The Louis JourdanDevil Made a Woman, The A Girl Against NapoleonDevil's Cavaliers, The The Devil's Riders, Gianna Maria CanaleDick Turpin a Spanish productionEl Cid Sophia Loren, Charlton Heston, U.S./ Italian film shot in ItalyExecutioner of Venice, The Lex Barker, Guy MadisonFighting Musketeers, The Giant of the Evil Island Mystery of the Cursed Island, Peter LupusGoliath and the Masked Rider Hercules and the Masked Rider, Alan SteelGuns of the Black Witch Terror of the Sea, Don MegowanHawk of the Caribbean Invincible Swordsman, The The Iron Swordsman Count Ugolino, directed by Riccardo FredaIvanhoe, the Norman Swordsman La spada normanna, directed by Roberto MauriKnight of a Hundred Faces, The The Silver Knight, starring Lex BarkerKnights of Terror Terror of the Red Capes, Tony RusselKnight Without a Country The Faceless RiderLawless Mountain, The La montaña sin ley Lion of St. Mark, The Gordon ScottMark of Zorro made in France, Monica SwinnMark of Zorro George HiltonMasked Conqueror, The Mask of the Musketeers Zorro and the Three Musketeers, starring Gordon ScottMichael Strogoff Revolt of the TartarsMiracle of the Wolves Blood on his Sword, starring Jean MaraisMorgan, the Pirate Steve ReevesMusketeers of the Sea Mysterious Rider, The directed by Riccardo FredaMysterious Swordsman, The starred Gerard LandryNephews of Zorro, The Italian comedy with Franco and CiccioNight of the Great Attack Revenge of the BorgiasNight They Killed Rasputin, The The Last CzarNights of Lucretia Borgia, The Pirate and the Slave Girl, The Lex BarkerPirate of the Black Hawk, The Pirate of the Half Moon Pirates of the Coast Lex BarkerPrince with the Red Mask, The The Red EaglePrisoner of the Iron Mask, The The Revenge of the Iron MaskPugni, Pirati e Karatè Fists, Pirates and Karate, directed by Joe D'Amato, starring Richard Harrison Queen of the Pirates The Venus of the Pirates, Gianna Maria CanaleQueen of the Seas directed by Umberto LenziRage of the Buccaneers Gordon, The Black Pirate, starring Vincent PriceRed Cloak, The Bruce CabotRevenge of Ivanhoe, The Rik BattagliaRevenge of the Black Eagle directed by Riccardo FredaRevenge of the Musketeers Dartagnan vs. the Three Musketeers, Fernando LamasRevenge of Spartacus, The Roger BrowneRevolt of the Mercenaries Robin Hood and the Pirates Lex BarkerRoland, the Mighty directed by Pietro FrancisciRome 1585 The Mercenaries, Debra Paget, set in the 1500sRover, The The Adventurer, starring Anthony QuinnThe Sack of Rome The Barbarians, The Pagans Samson vs. the Black Pirate Hercules and the Black Pirate, Alan SteelSamson vs. the Pirates Samson and the Sea Beast, Kirk MorrisSandokan Fights Back Sandokan to the Rescue, The Revenge of Sandokan, Guy MadisonSandokan the Great Sandokan, the Tiger of Mompracem, Steve ReevesSandokan, the Pirate of Malaysia Pirates of Malaysia, Pirates of the Seven Seas, Steve Reeves, directed by Umberto LenziSandokan vs. the Leopard of Sarawak Throne of Vengeance, Guy MadisonSaracens, The The Devil's Pirate, The Flag of Death, starring Richard HarrisonSea Pirate, The Thunder Over the Indian Ocean, Surcouf, Hero of the Seven SeasSecret Mark of D'artagnan, The Seven Seas to Calais Sir Francis Drake, King of the Seven Seas, Rod TaylorSeventh Sword, The Brett HalseyShadow of Zorro Frank LatimoreSign of Zorro, The Duel at the Rio Grande, Sean FlynnSon of Black Eagle Son of Captain Blood Son of d'Artagnan directed by Riccardo FredaSon of El Cid, The Mark DamonSon of the Red Corsair Son of the Red Pirate, Lex BarkerSon of Zorro Alberto Dell'AcquaSword in the Shadow, A starring Livio LorenzonSword of Rebellion, The The Rebel of CastelmonteSword of Vengeance La spada della vendettaSwordsman of Siena, The The MercenarySword Without a Country Sword Without a FlagTaras Bulba, The Cossack Plains of BattleTerror of the Black Mask The Invincible Masked RiderTerror of the Red Mask Lex BarkerThree Swords of Zorro, The The Sword of Zorro, Guy StockwellTiger of the Seven Seas Triumph of Robin Hood starring Samson BurkeTyrant of Castile, The Mark DamonWhite Slave Ship directed by Silvio AmadioThe White Warrior Hadji Murad, the White Devil, Steve ReevesWomen of Devil's Island starring Guy MadisonZorro El Zorro, Zorro the Fox, George ArdissonZorro Alain DelonZorro and the Three Musketeers Gordon ScottZorro at the Court of England Spiros Focás as ZorroZorro at the Court of Spain The Masked Conqueror, Georgio ArdissonZorro of Monterrey El Zorro de Monterrey, Carlos QuineyZorro, Rider of Vengeance Carlos QuineyZorro's Last Adventure La última aventura del Zorro, Carlos QuineyZorro the Avenger The Revenge of Zorro, Frank LatimoreZorro the Avenger El Zorro justiciero Fabio TestiZorro, the Navarra Marquis Nadir Moretti as ZorroZorro the Rebel Howard RossZorro Against Maciste Samson and the Slave Queen starring Pierre Brice, Alan Steel

Biblical

Barabbas Dino de Laurentiis, Anthony Quinn, filmed in ItalyBible, The Dino de Laurentiis, John Huston, filmed in ItalyDavid and Goliath Orson WellesDesert Desperadoes plot involves King HerodEsther and the King Joan Collins, Richard EganHead of a Tyrant, The Herod the Great Edmund PurdomJacob, the Man Who Fought with God Giorgio CerioniMighty Crusaders, The Jerusalem Set Free, Gianna Maria CanaleMoses the Lawgiver aka Moses in Egypt, Burt Lancaster, Anthony Quayle also released theatricallyOld Testament, The Brad HarrisPontius Pilate Jean MaraisThe Queen of Sheba, directed by Pietro FrancisciSamson and Gideon Fernando ReySaul and David Gianni GarkoSodom and Gomorrah Rosanna Podesta, U.S./Italian film shot in ItalyStory of Joseph and his Brethren, The Sword and the Cross, The Mary Magdalene, Gianna Maria Canale

Ancient Egypt

Cleopatra's Daughter starring Debra PagetLegions of the Nile starring Linda CristalPharaoh's Woman, The with John Drew BarrymoreQueen for Caesar, A Gordon ScottQueen of the Nile Nefertiti, Vincent PriceSon of Cleopatra Mark Damon

Babylon / the Middle East

Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens Sinbad Against the 7 Saracens, starring Gordon MitchellAnthar, The Invincible Devil of the Desert Against the Son of Hercules, starring Kirk Morris, directed by Antonio MargheritiDesert Warrior The Desert Lovers, Ricardo MontalbanFalcon of the Desert The Magnificent Challenge, starring Kirk MorrisGolden Arrow, The directed by Antonio MargheritiGoliath at the Conquest of Baghdad Goliath at the Conquest of Damascus, Peter LupusGoliath and the Rebel Slave The Tyrant of Lydia vs. The Son of Hercules, Gordon ScottGoliath and the Sins of Babylon Maciste, the World's Greatest Hero, Mark ForestHercules and the Tyrants of Babylon Hero of Babylon The Beast of Babylon vs. the Son of Hercules, Gordon ScottKindar, the Invulnerable Mark Forest, Rosalba NeriMissione sabbie roventi starring Renato Rossini, directed by Alfonso BresciaRed Sheik, The Shéhérazade starring Anna KarinaSeven Tasks of Ali Baba, The Ali Baba and the Sacred Crown, starring Richard LloydSlave Girls of Sheba starring Linda CristalSlave Queen of Babylon Yvonne FurneauxSon of the Sheik Kerim, Son of the Sheik, starring Gordon ScottSword of Damascus, The The Thief of DamascusSword of Islam, The a.k.a. Love and Faith; an Italian/ Egyptian co-productionThief of Baghdad, The Steve ReevesWar Gods of Babylon The Seventh ThunderboltWonders of Aladdin, The Donald O'Connor

The second peplum wave: the 1980s

After the peplum gave way to the spaghetti Western and Eurospy films in 1965, the genre lay dormant for close to 20 years. Then in 1982, the box-office successes of Jean-Jacques Annaud's Quest for Fire, Arnold Schwarzenegger's Conan the Barbarian and Clash of the Titans spurred a second renaissance of sword and sorcery Italian pepla in the five years immediately following. Most of these films had low budgets, focusing more on barbarians and pirates so as to avoid the need for expensive Greco-Roman sets. The filmmakers tried to compensate for their shortcomings with the addition of some graphic gore and nudity. Many of these 1980s entries were helmed by noted Italian horror film directors and many featured actors Lou Ferrigno, Miles O'Keeffe and Sabrina Siani. Here is a list of the 1980s pepla:Adam and Eve Adamo ed Eva, la prima storia d'amore, contains stock footage from One Million Years B.C. Ator, the Fighting Eagle Ator the Invincible, starring Miles O'Keeffe and Sabrina Siani, directed by Joe D'AmatoAtor 2: The Blade Master Cave Dwellers, starring Miles O'Keefe, directed by Joe D'AmatoAtor 3: Iron Warrior Iron Warrior, starring Miles O'Keeffe, directed by Alfonso Brescia Ator 4: Quest for the Mighty Sword Quest for the Mighty Sword, starring Eric Allan Kramer, Laura Gemser and Marisa Mell, directed by Joe D'AmatoBarbarian Master Sangraal, the Sword of Fire, Sword of the Barbarians, starring Sabrina SianiThe Barbarians The Barbarians and Company, semi-comedy starring Peter and David Paul, directed by Ruggero DeodatoThe Cantabrians Los Cantabros, directed by Paul Naschy in SpainConqueror of the World I padroni del mondo / Fathers of the World, Master of the World directed by Alberto CavalloneConquest Conquest of the Lost Land, starring Sabrina Siani, directed by Lucio FulciHercules starring Lou Ferrigno and Sybil Danning, directed by Luigi CozziHercules 2 The Adventures of Hercules, starring Lou Ferrigno, directed by Luigi CozziHundra Italian/ Spanish "Red Sonja" ripoff directed by Matt CimberThe Invincible Barbarian Gunan, the Warrior, Gunan, King of the Barbarians, starring Sabrina Siani, directed by Franco ProsperiIronmaster The War of Iron, co-starring Luigi Montefiori, directed by Umberto LenziThe Seven Magnificent Gladiators starring Lou Ferrigno and Dan VadisShe starring Sandahl Bergman and Gordon MitchellSinbad of the Seven Seas starring Lou Ferrigno, directed by Luigi CozziThor, the Conqueror directed by Tonino RicciThe Throne of Fire starring Sabrina Siani, directed by Franco ProsperiYor, the Hunter from the Future starring Reb Brown, directed by Antonio Margheriti
A group of so-called "porno peplum" films were devoted to Roman emperors, especially - but not only - to Caligula and Claudius' spouse Messalina:Caligula directed by Tinto BrassA Filha de Calígula/ The Daughter of Caligula directed by Ody Fraga; made in BrazilCaligula and Messalina directed by Bruno MatteiBacanales Romanas/ My Nights with Messalina directed in Spain by Jaime J. Puig; stars Ajita WilsonNerone and Poppea directed by Bruno MatteiCaligula... The Untold Story directed by Joe D'Amato, starring Laura Gemser and Gabriele TintiOrgies of Caligula Caligula's Slaves, Roma, l'antica chiave dei sensi; directed by Lorenzo OnoratiThe Erotic Dreams of Cleopatra directed by Rino Di Silvestro