Ancient Rome Films
Films that are set in the period or tell stories (real or fictional) from the period of ancient Rome.
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- DirectorStanley KubrickAnthony MannStarsKirk DouglasLaurence OlivierJean SimmonsThe slave Spartacus survives brutal training as a gladiator and leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman Republic, as the ambitious Crassus seeks to gain power by crushing the uprising.73-71 BCE
- DirectorTimur BekmambetovStarsJack HustonToby KebbellRodrigo SantoroJudah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother, an officer in the Roman army, returns to his homeland after years at sea to seek revenge, but finds redemption.33-41 CE
- DirectorPaul W.S. AndersonStarsKit HaringtonEmily BrowningKiefer SutherlandA slave-turned-gladiator finds himself in a race against time to save his true love, who has been betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts, he must fight to save his beloved as Pompeii crumbles around him.79 CE
- DirectorNeil MarshallStarsMichael FassbenderDominic WestOlga KurylenkoA splinter group of Roman soldiers fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is devastated in a guerrilla attack.117 CE
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweJoaquin PhoenixConnie NielsenA former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.180 CE
- DirectorMervyn LeRoyAnthony MannStarsRobert TaylorDeborah KerrLeo GennAfter fierce Roman commander Marcus Vinicius becomes infatuated with beautiful Christian hostage Lygia, he begins to question the tyrannical leadership of the despotic emperor Nero.
- DirectorHenry KosterStarsRichard BurtonJean SimmonsVictor MatureIn the Roman province of Judea during the 1st century, Roman tribune Marcellus Gallio is ordered to crucify Jesus of Nazareth but is tormented by his guilty conscience afterwards.
- DirectorPietro FrancisciStarsAnthony QuinnSophia LorenHenri VidalAttila, the leader of the barbarian Huns and called by the Romans "The Scourge of God", sweeps onto the Italian peninsula, defeating all of the armies of Rome, until he and his men reach the gates of the city itself.
- DirectorDelmer DavesStarsVictor MatureSusan HaywardMichael RennieIn first-century Rome, Christian slave Demetrius is sent to fight in the gladiatorial arena and Emperor Caligula seeks Jesus' robe for its alleged magical powers.
- DirectorDouglas SirkStarsJeff ChandlerJack PalanceLudmilla TchérinaWith the Roman Empire divided, Attila the Hun hopes to conquer. In his way are a brave centurion, a beautiful princess...and Christianity.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsCharlton HestonJack HawkinsStephen BoydAfter a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.
- DirectorMario BonnardStarsSteve ReevesChristine KaufmannFernando ReyA demobilized centurion returns home to Pompeii to find his father murdered by a gang of black-hooded Christian robbers that terrorizes the city and he decides to investigate the matter while the nearby volcano threatens to erupt.
- DirectorFerdinando BaldiTerence YoungStarsAlan LaddFranca BettoiaFranco FabriziIn the 5th century BC, rival kingdoms Rome and Alba entrust their fate to a duel to death between their respective chosen champions, the 3 Orazi brothers for Rome and the 3 Curiazi brothers for Alba.
- DirectorMario CostaStarsJacques SernasJohn Drew BarrymoreGeneviève GradProtests break out in Corinth against Roman domination, injuring Caius Vinicius, a Roman centurion. He's rescued by Hebe -- daughter of the anti-Roman governor, Critolaus -- who's being unsuccessfully wooed by the governor's second-in-command, the villainous Diaeus. Smitten, Hebe sends the handsome Roman to recuperate at the home of Callicrates, a political moderate. Artemide, wife of Callicrates, also falls for Caius Vinicus but when he spurns her, she has him arrested and imprisoned. Hebe then agrees to marry Diaeus if he will spare the Roman's life but Caius Vinicius is soon freed by Callicrates and his allies, just as a Roman army arrives to battle Corinthian forces.
- DirectorRichard FleischerStarsAnthony QuinnSilvana ManganoArthur KennedyGovernor Pontius Pilate gave the populace a choice to spare either Barabbas, a criminal, or Jesus, condemned as a heretic, from crucifixion. The masses chose Barrabas, and he is haunted by the image of Jesus for the rest of his life.
- DirectorNicholas RayStarsJeffrey HunterSiobhan McKennaHurd HatfieldThe temporary physical life of the Biblical Savior, Jesus Christ.
- DirectorLionello De FeliceIrving RapperStarsCornel WildeBelinda LeeMassimo SeratoBiopic of Constantine the Great, set between 293-312 AD, from his days as Tribune to his accession as Roman Emperor of Gaul under the tetrarchy system and ending with his battle against the usurper Roman Emperor Maxentius in Rome.
- DirectorSergio CorbucciStarsSteve ReevesGordon ScottVirna LisiTwin brothers revolt against tyranny in pre-Roman Italy and then come to a parting of the ways as they lead their people toward the founding of a new city.
- DirectorGiorgio VenturiniStarsSteve ReevesGiacomo Rossi StuartCarla MarlierAeneas leads escapees from the Trojan war to new land in Italy, and must deal with new threats to his people.
- DirectorGiacomo GentilomoStarsGordon MitchellTony KendallUrsula DavisThis film features a colossal clash between a mass of invaders and the faithful Roman soldiers who must fight to defend the Roman Empire.
- DirectorJoseph L. MankiewiczRouben MamoulianStarsElizabeth TaylorRichard BurtonRex HarrisonQueen Cleopatra VII of Egypt experiences both triumph and tragedy as she attempts to resist the imperial ambitions of Rome.
- DirectorGiorgio FerroniStarsGordon ScottGabriella PallottaMassimo SeratoA story of justice and tyranny with the fate of Rome in the balance.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsSophia LorenStephen BoydAlec GuinnessThe death of Marcus Aurelius leads to a succession crisis, in which the deceased emperor's son, Commodus, demonstrates that he is unwilling to let anything undermine his claim to the Roman Empire.
- DirectorGiorgio FerroniStarsGordon ScottAlberto LupoLilla BrignoneCoriolanus leads the Volsci in a war against Rome.
- DirectorSergiu NicolaescuStarsPierre BriceMarie-José NatGeorges MarchalThe Dacian kingdom lies at the eastern border of the Roman Empire.Only the river Danube separates the two mortal enemies.The Dacian king Decebalus knows that soon the vastly superior Roman legions will cross the river and attack Dacia.
- DirectorMircea DraganStarsRichard JohnsonAntonella LualdiIlarion CiobanuThe end of Trajan's Dacian Wars (106 AD), when south western Dacia was transformed into a Roman province: Roman Dacia.
- DirectorFederico FelliniStarsMartin PotterHiram KellerMax BornA series of disjointed mythical tales set in first-century Rome.
- DirectorStuart BurgeStarsCharlton HestonJason RobardsJohn GielgudThe growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. Cassius persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar, but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony.
- DirectorTinto BrassStarsMalcolm McDowellPeter O'TooleHelen MirrenA dramatization of the ascent to Caesar and subsequent reign of Caligula, one of the most notorious leaders of ancient Rome. We see his ambition, his scheming, his perversion and decadence, his brutality and his lunacy.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsWillem DafoeHarvey KeitelBarbara HersheyThe life of Jesus Christ, his journey through life as he faces the struggles all humans do, and his final temptation on the cross.
- DirectorJulie TaymorStarsAnthony HopkinsJessica LangeOsheen JonesTitus returns victorious from war, only to plant the seeds of future turmoil for himself and his family.
- DirectorJerzy KawalerowiczStarsPavel DelongMagdalena MielcarzBoguslaw LindaMarcus Vinicius meets Lygia in Rome and falls in love. But she is Christian and doesn't want anything to do with him. Marcus decides to kidnap her but Ursus, her bodyguard, catches Marcus. After that, Lygia falls in love, but Marcus must go to meet Nero. After the meeting somebody told Marcus that Nero burnt Rome. Marcus decides to go back to Rome and find Lygia.
- StarsPauline LynchSteven BerkoffAndrew PleavinIn 400 AD, the Roman Empire is the greatest power in the world. But to the east a fierce people arose: the Huns. They believe in a prophecy about a great king who will unite the tribes and challenge Rome for control of the world.
- DirectorJacques DorfmannStarsChristopher LambertKlaus Maria BrandauerMax von SydowAn entire nation's destiny lies in the hands of one man.
- DirectorRaffaele MertesStarsRichard HarrisVittoria BelvedereBenjamin SadlerIt is 90 A.D., and the Roman Empire is being run by the Emperor Domitian, who has declared himself to be God, and ruler over heaven and Earth. The Christians, who do not recognize his divinity, are a thorn in his side, and he is having them cruelly persecuted. The small village in Asia Minor, to which the aged apostle John has withdrawn, is also attacked by Roman soldiers. As if by a miracle, John is the only person to escape the slaughter, and he receives divine orders to write down the visions he will have, and communicate them to the Christian communities in the Roman provinces of Asia. The voice tells him that they should discover what is and what will happen thereafter. Among the Christians of Asia Minor, who believe that John is dead, everyone is deeply worried about being persecuted. Gaius, the community elder in Smyrna, is concerned that only a few believers still dare come to the ritual supper. Under these circumstances, Christianity can no longer exist. But at this point, the young Irene appears at the secret meeting. She is convinced that John, who could give the Christians back their courage, is still alive, because a certain Theophilus, who is being held captive by the Romans on the island of Patmos, is in contact with him, and had a letter sent to her. In it, John describes his vision of Heaven: And behold, a throne was set in Heaven, and one sat on the throne, and out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book that was sealed with seven seals. Neither Gaius, nor the other adult believers, understand what John means by this. Only a little child among them, also named John, grasps the sense of it: John realizes that the throne belongs to God, and sees the seven lamps of fire as the seven Christian communities of Asia Minor, together with the four elements and the book of seals with the mystery of faith that brings salvation. Yet the letter's mysterious origins make Gaius skeptical. He is only prepared to believe in the integrity of this vision, if John really is still alive. Old Theophilus, who in reality is John himself, has been sent to the prison island of Patmos, ruled by the corrupt Roman official Corvus, as a scribe, while the other prisoners have to do hard labor in the mines. Many of them hate Theophilus (John) because of the special treatment he is receiving, but above all, because he is a Christian. Nevertheless, he does succeed in converting some of his fellow prisoners to Christianity, such as the young scribe Demetrius, who is planning to escape along a secret tunnel. When the shaken John tells his companions about the crucifixion of the Savior, they realize that he was there at the time, and is actually John. He falls into a trance and experiences a new vision of Heaven: And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes. And he came and took the book. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. Meanwhile, in Smyrna, the young Irene has taken her leave of Valerius, whom she loves with a pure heart. She does not realize that he is not a Christian at all, but a spy working for the notoriously brutal Roman general Rufus, who has been ordered by Domitian to persecute Christians in Asia Minor. Valerius is a Roman soldier, born as a slave, he has his foster-father Rufus to thank for everything he has now become. He therefore has to obey when Rufus sends him to Patmos. Disguised as a prisoner, Valerius is told to find out whether John is still alive, because there are incessant rumors that he is, and they are leading to unwelcome solidarity among the Christians. Meanwhile Irene, with the help of her brother Jonicus, who visits Patmos regularly as a trader, gains access to the prison camp there. She recognizes Valerius from a distance and gets very worried about him. She embarked on all these dangers for the sake of John. However, her greatest desire is to see the last living Apostle, and to tell everyone about him. John trusts her, and confides in her under the seal of secrecy. She receives his visions in written form and promises to circulate the text among the Christians. Meanwhile on Patmos, Valerius tries to gain the trust of the Christian prisoners by defending the old Sostenes against the guards and suffering severe punishment as a result. Bound to a cross, he is left in the burning sunshine, but John is the only one who dares give him any water. And to Valerius' great surprise, he seems to know all about him and Rufus. In the hell of the prison camp, where violence and resentment reign, John often wonders about his mission: why has the Lord trapped him on this island, instead of sending him out into the world to spread the glad tidings? Then, surrounded by his companions, he falls into a trance, and again he sees himself in Heaven, with the Lamb on the throne. It is being threatened by a heavily armed knight on a red horse who is bringing hatred and war to humanity. Then a black horse appears whose rider is holding a pair of scales: he is the bringer of injustice and selfishness. Meanwhile, Rufus has ordered the island's governor Corvus to come and see him to tell him to show more severity, especially toward the Christians. Corvus is worried about losing his lucrative job, and so he tells his guards to be even more watchful than before. As a result, he notices that Irene has slipped into the camp again with Jonicus, to collect John's latest message. However, Jonicus cleverly manages to talk the guards out of searching either himself or his sister. John's visions become increasingly frequent and exhaust his strength. Nevertheless, Demetrius is still hoping to be able to get him off the island. The tunnel is ready, and the escape is planned for that evening. But when John supports the maltreated Sostenes, he incurs the wrath of the governor. He is imprisoned and the escape plans are scrapped. In his prison cell, John has a new vision: the Lamb breaks the fourth seal and again a horse appears, the pale horse that brings death into the world, plagues and famines, accidents and earthquakes. Only the love of God can defeat it. That night, numerous prisoners want to use the tunnel to escape, but it is discovered by the guards, and the fugitives are slaughtered. For Demetrius, all hope of rescue has now vanished. But John consoles him, telling him that it is God's will that they remain here on the island. Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven, Jesus announces to him in the vision. And then he sees a huge number of people in Heaven: They called in a loud voice: Salvation cometh from our God. The Christians of Asia Minor, all in very great danger, cling to this belief, for the Romans are murdering them all, women and men, young and old alike. Irene and Ionicus put their lives into very great danger and, with the help of a guard, manage to free John and the other Christians from the camp, the Roman spy Valerius among them. A ship is waiting at the harbor. But John is too old and weak to shake off the guards pursuing them. He takes his leave of his companions and hides in a cave together with Valerius, who is transformed by the old man's influence, and becomes his helper. In the cave, John goes into a prophetic trance and has his last vision: And when the Lamb had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. When the angels blew one after the other into the trumpets, hail, fire, and locusts destroyed the Earth, the sea turned to blood, darkness covered the Earth and the Day of Judgment arrived. And I saw a new heaven and a new Earth, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. Meanwhile Irene, Jonicus and Demetrius are arrested by Corvus and his men, and Valerius and John are found in their cave, their lives are forfeited. But at this point, Rufus arrives, and not only frees his foster son Valerius, but also the other captive Christians. It turns out that the Emperor Domitian is dead, and his successor has announced an amnesty. The persecution of the Christians is over. John, his companions, and the Christian communities all thank God for their salvation. Freed from his duty toward his foster-father, Valerius is finally free to embrace his beloved Irene.
- DirectorRoger YoungStarsPeter O'TooleCharlotte RamplingVittoria BelvedereCaesar Augustus tells of how he became the emperor to his reluctant daughter, Julia following the death of her husband Agrippa.
- DirectorBill AndersonStarsAlex KingstonSteven WaddingtonEmily BluntBoudica, the Warrior Queen on Britain, leads her tribe into rebellion against the Roman Empire and the mad Emperor of Rome Nero.
- DirectorPhilip SavilleStarsHenry Ian CusickDaniel KashChristopher PlummerThe story of Jesus' life as told by the apostle John, narrated by Christopher Plummer.
- DirectorMel GibsonStarsJim CaviezelMonica BellucciMaia MorgensternDepicts the final twelve hours in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, on the day of his crucifixion in Jerusalem.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsClive OwenStephen DillaneKeira KnightleyA demystified take on the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
- DirectorPaul MarcusStarsHans MathesonLaura MoranteRike SchmidA six-episode mini-series covering five centuries of the Roman Empire.
- DirectorGiulio BaseStarsOmar SharifDaniele PecciFlavio InsinnaSaint Peter, a reluctant but passionate leader, from the crucifixion of Jesus to his own. The film's first half dramatizes the New Testament's "Acts": early fear, the renewal of Pentecost, Saul's conversion, the decision to baptize pagans, and the Apostles' dispersal. In the second half, an aged Peter goes to Rome to join Paul, arriving on the day of Paul's arrest. Paul's death brings a crisis to Rome's Christians and to Peter; lessons from Jesus's teachings guide his decision to stay. Events within the fictive household of Persius, a Roman aristocrat, capture the upheaval that Christian teachings bring to the Eternal City.
- DirectorPatrick TaulèreKim HawkinsStarsCharlotte ComerSimona CuciurianuDanny GreenWhen the cowardly bureaucrat Catus Decianus breaks a peace treaty with the Iceni by brutalizing and humiliating their queen Boudica and her daughters the Iceian and allies join the queen in a campaign of revenge against the Romans. They plunder Roman cities killing all the inhabitants and burning the cities to the ground until a vastly outnumbered Roman legion faces Boudica's furious hoard.
- DirectorDoug LeflerStarsColin FirthBen KingsleyAishwarya Rai BachchanAs the Roman empire crumbles, young Romulus Augustus flees the city and embarks on a perilous voyage to Britain to track down a legion of supporters.
- DirectorAlejandro AmenábarStarsRachel WeiszMax MinghellaOscar IsaacA historical drama set in Roman Egypt, concerning a slave who turns to the rising tide of Christianity in the hope of pursuing freedom while falling in love with his mistress, the philosophy and mathematics professor Hypatia of Alexandria.
- DirectorChristian DuguayStarsAlessandro PreziosiMonica GuerritoreAlexander HeldThe story of the life and conversion of Aurelius Augustinus to Saint Augustine of Hippo.
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsChanning TatumJamie BellDonald SutherlandIn Roman-ruled Britain, a young Roman soldier endeavors to honor his father's memory by finding his lost legion's golden emblem.
- DirectorRoger YoungStarsBilly ZaneCristiana CapotondiFilippo NigroBilly Zane stars as Barabbas--the man whose life was spared because of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Based on the Nobel Prize in Literature winning novel by Par Lagerkvist, Barabbas is a story rooted in the Bible which will come to life on REELZ as a four-hour miniseries and tells the ultimate story of redemption. Barabbas was shot on location in Tunisia and is directed by Emmy Award winner Roger Young.
- DirectorMichael RedwoodStarsNicole CernatPeter O'TooleJoss AcklandConstantine joins the Roman army to find his missing childhood friend. Once alerted to his friend's whereabouts, he prepares for an all out war between the East and the West.
- DirectorKevin ReynoldsStarsJoseph FiennesTom FeltonPeter FirthIn 33 AD, a Roman Tribune in Judea is tasked to find the missing body of Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead.