[ IMDB | Streaming (Archive.org) | Streaming (YouTube I) | Streaming (YouTube II) | Streaming (YouTube III) | Wikipedia ]
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Archive.org and YouTube I were 1:39:55 and appeared to be the same print. YouTube II (1:35:22) and III (1:39:55) also appeared the same as each other, and were in Italian with subtitles. All were decent copies. I went with Archive.org.
- Mark Forest – Maciste, inexplicably called Poseidon in the English dub
- Marilu Tolo – Olympia, the “queen” of Rome
- Elisabetta Fanti – Livia (but sounds like they’re calling her Sylvia in the dubbed version), Christian girl who Poseiden falls in love with
- Robert Hundar – Zefatius, head of the Pratorian guards, always in black so, yeah, evil
- Giuseppe Addobbati – Marcellus, the Bishop of the set-upon Christians, also in Beast of Babylon Against the Son of Hercules (1963), Messalina vs. the Son of Hercules (1963), The Son of Hercules in the Land of Fire (1963), Hercules Against the Mongols (1963), Maciste in King Solomon’s Mines (1964)
- Ferruccio Amendola – Dammatius, Livia’s brother and comic relief
Caesar and Olympia and Zefatius watch 4 gladiators fight, Poseidon of Sparta brought in to fight them all. he wins and at the festival later Olympia invites him to her room after rebuffing Zefatius. Caesar asks them to fight and Z chooses that they fight blind folded. Caesar’s decadence on full display. after Z kills an onlooker he begins cheating and Olympia calls him out. The fight is over.
On his way to Olympia, he fights (kills one injurs another) two Praetorians soldiers chasing Livia in the woods. Poseidan learns that she is Christian and they are after her and her family because of it. Later with Olympia he is distracted and tells her he is now obsessed with Livia. She kicks him out and weeps of her unrequited love. Sympathetic character.
He goes to Livia’s home and meets her family. They proselatize Christianity to him. Why don’t they fight? They say Bishop Marcellus is an ally, but are running to the catacombs in the Appian Way. Poseidon promises to come to them soon.
Poseidon arrested when he returns to Rome. Caesar sentences him to death, must face a challenge in the arena. A gorilla! Poseidon’s punches do not harm the gorilla but he eventually knocks him out and wins the fight. The crowd goes wild. Caesar says he can now ask for anything he wants. After being offered villas, slave women, or the death of an enemy, he instead asks for the life of Livia. Caesar grants it, but Zefatius give him a sly look.
Poseidon goes to the catacombs and a group of guards follow. he meets Marcellus holding service an Dammatius (comic sidekick) who befriends him with mocks of the obesity of Caesar. Guards find them and arrests all but Poseidon. Back in the palace, he lies to Caesar that he no longer loves Livia and doesn’t care that she will be sacrificed the next day. He then frees them by ripping the bars from their cell. A few are imprisoned elsewhere, but He promises to find them and get them all on a ship to Iberia.
Zefatius blames Poseidon but Olympia covers for him and insists he was with her the whole time. After a decadent gathering of women and wine, after all others are passed out, Olympia directs Poseidon to the remaining prisoners. Dammatius dresses as a centurion and demands that the prisoners be taken to the Colosseum, then he and Poseidon flee with them after battling the guards. Poseidon sneaks back to the gathering with no one knowing.
After Caesar learns of the escape and demands justice, Poseidon slyly promises to find the soldier bring him to justice.
Since the prisoners will no leave for Iberia until Marcellus is also freed, Zefatius sets a trap for Poseidon by letting him know when Marcellus will be killed. Poseidon takes the bait and frees the captured Spartans who know where Marcellus is imprisoned. While they are battling the guards, Zefatius has overheard Olympia confessing her collusion with Poseidon and he kills her for it. Later, after Marcellus is freed and all are ready to leave for Iberia, Poseidon visits Olympia to bid her farewell and finds her dead. He flees with soldiers in pursuit.
A Spartan tries to convince the others to give up the Christians and save themselves but is castigated. He then goes to Caesar and betrays them (symbolism?). Poseidon tells Livia that he will marry her after they escape and then splits the Sparatns and Christians into two groups to make their way to the coast. Before they can leave, the soldiers arrive and start burning down their huts with flaming arrows. The Christians flee as Poseidon and the Spartans fight off the soldiers. They are eventually overrun but a dying Spartan see the traitor who gave them up and kills him just before expiring. Dammatius dies protecting Poseidon.
Poseidon sends the Christians to safety but is captured and sentenced to death in the arena. Poseidon appears to be converted to Christianity (oh come on) and prays to God to give him the strength to survive being dragged around the arena by three horses. The punishment cannot hurt him and he eventually is able to grab an iron ring fastened to the wall and stop the horses. The crowd cheers and he escapes on horseback. Zefatius gives chase and after they dismount and fight in the mud–in an act of almost unconscionable dramatic letdown–Zefatius accidentally stabs himself and dies.
Caesars learns of his escape and comically suggest he may have to learn more of this Christian god, before getting distracted and declaring his hunger. Livia is waiting on a hillside tending sheep (symbolism!) as Poseidon arrives and they walk off together.
