The Giant of Marathon

The Giant of Marathon
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jacques Tourneur Mario Bava
Produced by	Bruno Vailati
Written by	Alberto Barsanti (story) Ennio De Concini (writer) Augusto Frassinetti (writer) Raffaello Pacini (story) Bruno Vailati (writer)
Starring	Steve Reeves Mylène Demongeot Daniela Rocca Ivo Garrani Philippe Hersent
Music by	Roberto Nicolosi
Cinematography	Mario Bava Masino Manunza
Editing by	Mario Serandrei
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s)	December 3, 1959 (1959-12-03)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	Italy France
Language	English

The Giant of Marathon (Italian: La battaglia di Maratona) is a 1959 Italian sword and sandal film. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and Mario Bava (Bava had to step in to complete the film). It starred Steve Reeves as Pheidippides (Phillipides in the film).

In 2007, The Giant of Marathon was used as the basis for an episode of The Film Crew.

Plot summary

This classical peplum tells a fictitious story set in 490 BC, the time of the Medic Wars during which Persian armies sweep the Ancient world. Having brought home to Athens the Olympic victor's laurel crown, Philippides joins as commander the Sacred Guard, which is expected to defend the city-state's liberty, a year after the chasing of the tyrant Hippias. Athenian supporters of Hippias conspire, hoping to side Philippides by marriage to Theocrites' expensive servant Charis, and thus neutralize the guard. She fails to seduce him, as his heart is already taken by a young girl before the learns her name is Andromeda, daughter of Creuso. Everything personal is likely to be put on hold when the news breaks that the Persian King of kings Darius's vast army is marching on Greece, hoping its internal division will make its conquest a walk-over. Theocrites reproaches Miltiades to hold back the sacred guard to defend the Pallas temple after a likely defeat, and proposes instead to negotiate terms with Darius, but is told an alliance with Sparta could save the Hellenic nation. Philippides makes the journey and survives a fiendish attempt on his life by conspirators; he returns with Sparta's engagement during the Persian attack in far greater numbers on Militiades valiant troops. Charis, left for dead after overhearing Darius's orders, reaches the camp to tell that the Persian fleet, now commanded by traitor Theocrites, is heading for Piraeus to take Athens. Miltiades sends Philippides ahead to hold out with the sacred guard until his hopefully victorious troops arrive, and after his perilous journey back they do a great job, proving superior athletes can do better than traditional naval ramming tactics.

Cast

• Steve Reeves as Phidippides
• Mylène Demongeot as Andromeda, Creuso's daughter
• Sergio Fantoni as Teocrito
• Daniela Rocca as Karis
• Philippe Hersent as Callimaco
• Alberto Lupo as Milziade
• Daniele Vargas as Dario, King of Persia
• Miranda Campa as Andromeda's handmaid
• Gianni Loti as Teucro
• Anita Todesco as Andromeda's friend
• Ivo Garrani as Creuso
• Sergio Ciani as Euros
• Franco Fantasia
• Carlo Lombardi
• Ignazio Balsamo
• Gian Paolo Rosmino
• Walter Grant

See also

• List of historical drama films

External links

• The Giant of Marathon at the Internet Movie Database
• The Giant of Marathon is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
• The Giant of Marathon at AllRovi
• The Giant of Marathon at Rotten Tomatoes