List of films based on Greco-Roman mythology
This is a list of movies based on Greek and Roman mythology.
Amazons
- La Regina delle Amazzoni(1960) aka Colossus and the Amazon Queen
- Le Gladiatrici (1963)
- Le Amazzoni - donne d'amore e di guerra (1973)
- The Amazons (1973)
- Dschungelmädchen für zwei Halunken (1974)
- Gold of the Amazon Women (1979) (TV)
- Hercules and the Amazon Women (1994) (TV)
- Wonder Woman (2009)
- Wonder Woman (2017)
Hercules
The complete Italian Hercules series (in chronological order)[1]
The films are listed below by their American release titles, and the titles in parentheses are the original Italian titles.
- Hercules (Le Fatiche di Ercole/ The Labors of Hercules, 1958) starring Steve Reeves
- Hercules Unchained (Ercole e la regina di Lidia/ Hercules and the Queen of Lydia, 1959) starring Steve Reeves
- Goliath and the Dragon (La Vendetta di Ercole/ The Revenge of Hercules, 1960) (this Hercules film had its title changed to "Goliath" when it was distributed in the USA for some reason)
- Hercules Vs The Hydra (Gli Amori di Ercole/ The Loves of Hercules, 1960) co-starring Jayne Mansfield
- Hercules and the Captive Women (Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide/ Hercules at the Conquest of Atlantis, aka Hercules and the Haunted Women) 1961
- Hercules in the Haunted World (Ercole al centro della terra/ Hercules at the Center of the Earth) 1961 (directed by Mario Bava)
- Hercules in the Vale of Woe (Maciste contro Ercole nella valle dei guai/ Maciste Vs. Hercules in the Vale of Woe) 1961 (this was made as a semi-comedy/ satire on peplums)
- Ulysses Vs. The Son of Hercules (Ulisse contro Ercole/ Ulysses Vs. Hercules) 1962
- The Fury of Hercules (La Furia di Ercole/ The Fury of Hercules, aka The Fury of Samson) 1962
- Hercules, Samson and Ulysses (Ercole sfida Sansone/ Hercules Challenges Samson) 1963
- Hercules Vs. the Moloch (Ercole contro Molock/ Hercules Vs. Moloch, aka The Conquest of Mycene) 1963
- Son of Hercules in the Land of Darkness (Ercole l'invincibile/ Hercules, the Invincible) 1964 (this was originally a Hercules film that was retitled to "Son of Hercules" so that it could be included in the "Sons of Hercules" TV syndication package)
- Hercules Vs. The Giant Warrior (il Trionfo di Ercole/ The Triumph of Hercules, aka Hercules and the Ten Avengers) 1964
- Hercules Against Rome (Ercole contro Roma, 1964)
- Hercules Against the Sons of the Sun (Ercole contro i figli del sole, 1964)
- Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon (Ercole contro i tiranni di Babilonia, 1964)
- Samson and the Mighty Challenge (Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus, gli invincibili, aka Combate dei Gigantes) 1964 (this was more of a comedy/ satire on peplums & featured Hercules prominently in the plot)
- Hercules and the Princess of Troy (no Italian title, aka "Hercules vs. the Sea Monster", 1965) (this 48-minute Italian/U.S. co-production was made as a pilot for a Charles Band-produced TV series that never materialized)
- Hercules, the Avenger (Sfida dei giganti/ Challenge of the Giants, 1965) a cheaply made-for-TV quickie that consisted mostly of re-edited stock footage from 2 earlier Italian Hercules films, "Ercole al centro della terra" and "Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide").
Other Hercules-related films
- The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) United States (comedy)
- Hercules in New York (1970) United States (aka "Hercules Goes Bananas", starring Arnold Schwarzenegger)
- Hercules (1983) Italy, United States (starring Lou Ferrigno)
- Le Avventure dell'incredibile Ercole (1985) Italy, United States (aka Hercules 2, starring Lou Ferrigno)
- Hercules and the Amazon Women (1994) United States - TV movie
- Hercules and the Circle of Fire (1994) United States - TV movie
- Hercules and the Lost Kingdom (1994) United States - TV movie
- Hercules in the Underworld (1994) United States - TV movie
- Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur (1994) United States - TV movie
- Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995–99) United States - TV series
- Xena: Warrior Princess (1995–2001) - TV series (Spinoff of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys)
- Hercules (1997) United States - animated (Walt Disney)
- The Amazing Feats of Young Hercules (1997) United States - animated, direct to video
- Young Hercules (1998) United States - direct to video
- Young Hercules (1998–99) United States - TV series
- Hercules and Xena - The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus (1998) United States - animated, straight to video
- Himcules (1998–99) - animated TV series
- Hercules (2005) - TV miniseries
- The Legend of Hercules (2014) United States
- Hercules (2014) United States
Sons of Hercules
Sons of Hercules was a syndicated television show that aired in the United States of America in the 1960s. The series repackaged 14 Italian sword-and-sandal films by giving them a memorable theme song and a standard intro relating the lead character in each film to the Greek demigod Hercules any way they could. The first title listed for each film was its American television title, followed by the original Italian title in parentheses:
- Mole Men versus the Son of Hercules (Maciste, The Strongest Man in the World) starring Mark Forest as Maciste
- The Terror of Rome versus the Son of Hercules (Maciste, Gladiator of Sparta) starring Mark Forest as Maciste
- Fire Monsters Against The Son Of Hercules (Maciste Vs. The Monsters) starring Reg Lewis as Maciste
- Triumph Of The Son Of Hercules (The Triumph Of Maciste) starring Kirk Morris as Maciste
- Son Of Hercules In The Land Of Darkness (Hercules The Invincible) starring Dan Vadis as Hercules
- Ulysses Vs. The Son Of Hercules (Ulysses Against Hercules) starring Mike Lane as Hercules
- Son Of Hercules In The Land Of Fire (Ursus In The Land Of Fire) starring Ed Fury as Ursus
- Ursus, Son Of Hercules (aka Ursus, aka Mighty Ursus) starring Ed Fury as Ursus
- The Tyrant Of Lydia Vs. The Son Of Hercules (Goliath and the Rebel Slave) starring Gordon Scott as Goliath
- Messalina Against the Son Of Hercules (The Last Gladiator) starring Richard Harrison as Glaucus
- Devil Of The Desert Vs. The Son Of Hercules (Anthar The Invincible) starring Kirk Morris as Anthar
- Medusa Vs. The Son Of Hercules (Perseus The Invincible) starring Richard Harrison as Perseus
- Beast Of Babylon Versus The Son Of Hercules (Hero Of Babylon) starring Gordon Scott as Prince Nippur
- Venus Against The Son Of Hercules (Mars, God Of War) starring Roger Browne as Mars
Homer and Troy
- L'Île de Calypso: Ulysse et le géant Polyphème (1905)
- Odissea (1911)
- Helena (1924)
- Ulysses (1955)
- Helen of Troy (1956)
- La Guerra di Troia (1961) Italy
- La Leggenda di Enea (1961) Italy
- Electra (1962 film) Greece
- Ulysses (1967), a film adaptation of James Joyce's novel of Ulysses
- L'Odissea (1968) Italy - TV mini-series
- Eneide (1971) Yugoslavia/Italy - TV miniseries
- The Trojan Women (1971 film) UK, USA, Greece
- The Return of Ulysses to His Homeland (1973) UK - TV movie
- Iphigenia (1977 film) Greece - film based upon Euripides' play Iphigenia at Aulis
- Uliisses (1982) Germany
- Les Troyens (1984) United States - TV movie
- Falling Down (1993) United States
- Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (1985) Austria - TV filmed version of the opera
- Ulysses' Gaze (1995) Greece
- Dido & Aeneas (1995) UK - TV movie
- Dido and Aeneas (1995) Canada - filmed version of the opera
- The Odyssey (1997)
- Hercules (1997)
- The Animated Odyssey (2000) United States - animated TV movie
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) - based on The Odyssey
- Helen of Troy (2003)
- L'Odyssée (2003) Canada - TV movie
- Troy (2004)
- Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
- Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters (2013)
Jason and the Argonauts
- Hercules (Le Fatiche di Ercole/ The Labors of Hercules, 1958) starring Steve Reeves
- Jason and the Argonauts (1963) United States
- Jason and the Argonauts (2000) United States - TV mini-series
- The Spirit (2008) United States - features the Golden Fleece and the blood of Heracles.
Oedipus
- The Man Who Smiles (1937)
- Oedipus Rex (1957)
- Antigone (1961)
- Oedipus Rex (1967)
- Oedipus the King (1968)
- Funeral Parade of Roses (1969)
- Night Warning (1982)
- Voyager (1991)
- Edipo Alcalde (1996)
- Tiresia (2003)
Orpheus
- Orphée (1949) France
- Black Orpheus (1959) Brazil
- Evrydiki BA 2O37 (1975) Greece
- Orfeu (1999) Brazil
- Orpheus (2005)
Perseus
- Perseo l'invincibile (1963) (aka Medusa Vs The Son of Hercules)
- Clash of the Titans (1981)
- Clash of the Titans (2010)
- Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief (2010)
- Wrath of the Titans (2012)
- Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013)
Pygmalion
- Pygmalion (1937)
- My Fair Lady (1964)
- Duck, You Sucker! (1971)
- Weird Science (1985)
- Mannequin (1987)
- Mighty Aphrodite (1995)
- Ruby Sparks (2012)
Romulus and Remus
- Romolo e Remo: a 1961 film starring Steve Reeves and Gordon Scott as the two brothers.
- The Rape of the Sabine Women: a 1962 film starring Wolf Ruvinskis as Romulus.
- Star Trek (multiple episodes): Romulus and Remus are neighbouring planets with Remus being tidally locked to the star. Romulus is the capital of the Romulan Star Empire, which is loosely based on the Roman Empire.
Theseus and the Minotaur of Crete
- Minotaur, the Wild Beast of Crete, a 1960 Italian film starring Bob Mathias, loosely based on the mythological story
- Minotaur, a 2006 horror film
- Immortals (2011)
The Titans
- Arrivano i titani, a 1962 Italian comedy including the mythological characters Cadmus and the Titans, starring Giuliano Gemma and Pedro Armendáriz.
Ursus
Ursus is a super-human pseudo-Biblical/Roman character who is the hero in a series of Italian films made in the 1960s. There were a total of 9 Italian sword-and-sandal films that featured Ursus as the main character, as follows:
- Ursus (aka Mighty Ursus, aka Ursus, Son of Hercules) 1961 (starring Ed Fury)
- La Vendetta di Ursus (The Revenge of Ursus) 1961 (starring Samson Burke)
- Ursus Nella Valle dei Leoni (Ursus in the Valley of the Lions, aka Valley of the Lions) 1961 (starring Ed Fury)
- Ursus e la Ragazza Tartara (Ursus and the Tartar Princess, aka Ursus and the Tartar Girl, aka The Tartar Invasion) 1962 (starring Joe Robinson)
- Ursus Nella Terra di Fuoco (Ursus in the Land of Fire, aka Son of Hercules in the Land of Fire) 1963 (starring Ed Fury)
- Ursus il Gladiatore Rebelle (Ursus, the Rebel Gladiator, aka The Rebel Gladiators) 1963 (starring Dan Vadis)
- Ursus, il terrore dei Kirghisi (Ursus, the Terror of the Kirghiz, aka Hercules, Prisoner of Evil) 1964 (starring Reg Park)
- Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus, gli invincibili (Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: The Invincibles, aka Samson and the Mighty Challenge, aka Combate dei gigantes) 1964 (this was a satire/ comedy poking fun at the sword-and-sandal genre, and starred Yan Larvor as Ursus)
- Gli Invincibili Tre (The Invincible Three, aka The Three Invincibles, aka Three Avengers) 1964 (Ursus was the lead hero in this film, played by Alan Steel.)
Footnotes
- ↑ (Note* - A number of English-dubbed Italian films that featured the Hercules name in their title were never intended to be Hercules movies by their Italian creators. "Hercules, Prisoner of Evil" was actually a retitled Ursus film, "Hercules and the Black Pirate" and "Hercules and the Treasure of the Incas" were both retitled Samson movies, "Hercules and the Masked Rider" was actually a retitled Goliath movie, while the films "Hercules Against the Moon Men," "Hercules Against the Barbarians," "Hercules Against the Mongols" and "Hercules of the Desert" were all originally Maciste films. None of these films in their original Italian versions were connected to 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 incarnations.
See also
- This film-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.