List of films set in ancient Rome

This page lists films set in the city of Rome during the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic or the Roman Empire. Where films are only partly set in Rome, they are so noted.

The Roman Kingdom

• Duel of the Titans (1961) - based on the legend of Romulus and Remus with Steve Reeves as Romulus and Gordon Scott as Remus
• Romulus and the Sabines
• Duel of Champions (1961) - with Alan Ladd as Horatious and Robert Keith as Tullus Hostilius
• The Rape of the Sabine Women (1962) - about the The Rape of the Sabine Women
• Hero of Rome (1964) - with Gordon Scott as Gaius Mucius Scaevola

Roman Republic

Early Roman Republic

• Coriolanus: Hero without a Country (1963) - with Gordon Scott as Gaius Marcius Coriolanus
• Brennus, Enemy of Rome (1963) - about the Battle of the Allia and sack of Rome in 387 BC with Gordon Scott as Brennus
• The Centurion (1961) - about the Battle of Corinth (146 BC) with John Drew Barrymore as Diaeus
• Episode four: Revolution (Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire)-docudrama about of the reforms of Tiberius Gracchus

Second Punic War

• Hannibal (1959) - about Hannibal's campaign in Italy including the Battle of Cannae starring Victor Mature as Hannibal
• Hannibal – Rome's Worst Nightmare (2006) - with Alexander Siddig as Hannibal
• Siege of Syracuse (1960) - about the Siege of Syracuse with Rossano Brazzi as Archimides
• Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal (1937) - about the career of Scipio Africanus up to his defeat of Hannibal at the Battle of Zama
• Cabiria (1914) - touching on Hannibal's campaign in Italy, the Siege of Syracuse and Battle of Zama featuring such characters as Masinissa
• Jupiter's Darling (1955) - with Howard Keel as Hannibal and George Sanders as Fabius Maximus

Third Servile War

• Spartacus (1953)
• Spartacus (1960) - with Kirk Douglas as Spartacus and Laurence Olivier as Marcus Licinius Crassus
• Spartacus (2004)
• Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010) - with Andy Whitfield as Spartacus, Manu Bennett as Crixus, Peter Mensah as Oenomaus, John Hannah as Lentulus Batiatus, and Craig Parker as Gaius Claudius Glaber
• Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011) - prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand. The plot of Gods of the Arena follows Lentulus Batiatus's (John Hannah) life as a lanista, and Gannicus's (Dustin Clare) time as a gladiator.
• Spartacus: Vengeance (2012) - Sequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand, with Liam McIntyre replacing Andy Whitfield as Spartacus, after Whitfield's unexpected death in 2011.
• Spartacus: War of the Damned (2013)

Cleopatra

• Caesar and Cleopatra (1945) - with Vivien Leigh as Cleopatra VII and Claude Rains as Julius Caesar
• Caesar the Conqueror (1962)
• A Queen for Caesar (1962)
• Carry On Cleo parody of Cleopatra, set in the reign of Julius Caesar (1964)
• Cleopatra (1934) - with Claudette Colbert as Cleopatra VII
• Cleopatra (1963) - including the Battle of Actium and Final War of the Roman Republic with Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, Richard Burton as Mark Antony and Rex Harrison as Julius Caesar.
• Cleopatra (1999)
• Le legioni di Cleopatra (1959)[1]

Julius Caesar

• Druids (2001) - the career of Vercingetorix
• Julius Caesar (TV miniseries) (2002)
• Julius Caesar (1953) - deals with the Assassination of Julius Caesar and Liberators' civil war
• Julius Caesar (1970) - deals with the Assassination of Julius Caesar and Liberators' civil war
• Empire (2005)
• Rome (2005) - deals with the Assassination of Julius Caesar and Liberators' civil war
• Episode one: Caesar(Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire)-docudrama about Gallic Wars and civil war led by Julius Caesar

The Roman Empire

1st century BC

• Empire (TV series) (2005)
• Imperium: Augustus

The Life of Jesus Christ

• Ben Hur (2003 film)
• Ben-Hur (1925 film) - this film is noteworthy for its color segments and for the female nudity in the parade sequence
• Ben-Hur (1959) partly set in Rome
• King of Kings (1927)
• King of Kings (1961)
• Passion of the Christ (2004)
• Pontius Pilate (1961) - with Jean Marais as Pontius Pilate
• The Life of Brian (1979)

Reigns of Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius

• The Robe (1953)
• The Inquiry (2006) - with Max von Sydow as Tiberius
• Caligula (1979) - with Malcolm McDowell as Caligula
• Demetrius and the Gladiators sequel to The Robe
• I, Claudius (Never completed) (1937) with Charles Laughton as Claudius
• I, Claudius (BBC TV series) (1976) - with Derek Jacobi as Claudius
• Barabbas (1961)

Reign of Nero

• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) - a fleeting reference to the emperor is made when the gladiatorial trainer in the Colosseum wants his hulking student to drive his next victim "straight into Nero's box".
• Quo Vadis (1951) - with Peter Ustinov as Nero
• Quo Vadis (2001)
• Satyricon (1969)
• The Sign of the Cross (1932) - with Charles Laughton as Nero
• Nero (film) (2005)
• Episode two: Nero(Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire)-docudrama about reign of Nero

Boudica's Revolt

• The Viking Queen (1967) - film loosely based on the revolt of Boudica
• Warrior Queen (1978) - TV series about the revolt of Boudica
• Boudica (2003) - film about the revolt of Boudica

Eruption of Mount Vesuvius

• The_Fires_of_Pompeii (2008) New Dr Who series 4 ep 2
• The Last Days Of Pompeii (1935)
• The Last Days Of Pompeii (1959)
• Pompeii: The Last Day (2003)
• Up Pompeii (1971)
• Up Pompeii! is set in 79 AD, yet anachronistically shows Nero still reigning 10 years after his death (BBC TV Series) (1969–1975)
• Roman Mysteries (TV series)

Flavian Dynasty

• Masada (miniseries) (1985) - mini series about the Siege of Masada in the First Jewish-Roman War
• Titus Andronicus (1985)
• Colosseum: Rome's Arena of Death -BBC Television docudrama which tells the true story of Verus a gladiator who fought at the Colosseum in Rome,in Reign of Titus
• Episode three: Rebellion(Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire)docudrama about First Jewish–Roman War
• Roman Mysteries (TV series)

85-110 AD

• Black Adder Back and Forth (20**) - about Blackadders Tardis

• The Dacians (1967) - about Domitian's Dacian War with Pierre Brice as Septimius Severus
• The Column (1968) - about Trajan's Dacian Wars

Reign of Hadrian

• Centurion (2010) - about the disappearance of the Ninth Legion
• The Eagle (2011) - adaption of the novel The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.

Reign of Antoninus Pius

• Androcles and the Lion (1952) - set in 161 AD

Reign of Commodus

• The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) - latter half set in Rome with Christopher Plummer as Commodus.
• Gladiator (2000) - latter half set in Rome, partly a remake of The Fall of the Roman Empire.

260-272 AD

• Nel segno di Roma

Reign of Diocletian

• Sebastiane (1976)

310-315 AD

• Constantine and the Cross (1962) - up to the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in AD 312 with Cornel Wilde as Constantine the Great
• Fabiola (1949)
• Episode five: Constantine (Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire)docudrama about Christianity became the dominant religion of the Roman Empire in reign of Roman Emperor Constantine

Attila the Hun

• Attila (1954) - with Anthony Quinn as Attila the Hun and Sophia Loren as Justa Grata Honoria
• Attila (TV miniseries) (2001) - with Gerard Butler as Attila the Hun
• Sign of the Pagan (1955) - with Jack Palance as Attila the Hun

Late Empire

• Agora (2009) - with Rachel Weisz as Hypatia
• The Last Legion (2007)
• Kampf um Rom I (1968)
• King Arthur (film) (2004)
• Restless Heart (film) (2012) - A film about Augustine of Hippo
• 476 A.D. (2012), A film about Romulus Augustus's deposition by Odoacer, the Chieftain of the Ostrogoths, and the End of the Roman Empire.
• Episode six: The Fall of Rome(Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire)- docudrama about Sack of Rome by Alaric.

Undated

• Roman Scandals (1933), Eddie Cantor's dream sequence
• History of the World, Part I (1981); the section "The Roman Empire" of this broad satire is set in Rome.

See also

• Fiction set in ancient Rome for a comprehensive list of all works of fiction (including films set in ancient Rome)
• List of historical drama films

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