List of Historical Drama Films - Films Set in Antiquity (until The Fall of The Roman Empire in The West)

Films Set in Antiquity (until The Fall of The Roman Empire in The West)

See also: List of films based on Greco-Roman mythology See also: List of films set in ancient Rome See also: List of films based on the Bible
Sortable table
Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
La Donna dei Faraoni 1961 3100 BC shortly after the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt
Land of the Pharaohs 1956 2589-2566 BC based on the reign of Pharaoh Khufu
Il Sepolcro dei re 1960 2589-2566 BC based on the reign of Pharaoh Khufu
Sudan 1945 2558-2532 BC set during the reign of the pharaoh Khafra
The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior 2008 2270-2215 BC set during the reign of Sargon of Akkad
The Egyptian 1954 2000 BC primarily based on the Story of Sinuhe, although the film references the pharaoh Akhenaten, the Hittite Empire, and iron technology, all of which require a much later date.
Slave of Dreams 1995 1544 BC set in Egypt and based on the story of Joseph
Joseph 1995 1544 BC Egypt, probably during the reign of Ahmose I
The Ten Commandments 1956 c. 15th-13th century BC Egypt, during the reign of an unnamed Pharoah, based on the story of the Exodus
Nefertiti, Regina del Nilo 1961 c. 1370-1330 BC Egypt; loosely based on Nefertiti
Ifegeneia 1977 c. 1200 BC Greece immediately before the soldiers set sail to attack Troy
Helen of Troy 1956 c. 1200 BC western Anatolia during the Trojan War
Troy 2004 c. 1200 BC western Anatolia during the Trojan War
L'ira di Achille 1962 c. 1200 BC western Anatolia in the 9th year of the Trojan War
Guerra di Troia 1961 c. 1200 BC western Anatolia in the 10th and final year of the Trojan War
The Trojan Women 1971 c. 1200 BC the immediate aftermath of the Trojan War
La Leggenda di Enea 1962 early 12th century BC Aeneas struggles to establish a new home-land in Italy for his fellow survivors of the Trojan War
Electra 1962 early 12th century BC the daughter of the Greek king Agamemnon seeks revenge for her father's murder
Ulysses 1955 early 12th century BC the ten year struggle of Odysseus to return home to Ithaca in Greece after the Trojan War
The Odyssey 1997 early 12th century BC
Pharaoh 1966 1069 BC Egypt during the reign of a fictitious king "Ramses XIII" (there were only 11 by that name)
King David 1985 c. 1040-970 BC southern Levant
A Story of David 1960 c.1040-970 BC southern Levant
David e Golia 1960 c.1040-970 BC southern Levant
David and Bathsheba 1951 1040-970 BC
Solomon and Sheba 1959 1011-931 BC southern Levant
Sins of Jezebel 1953 874-853 BC southern Levant during the reign of king Ahab
Io, Semiramide 1962 810 BC Assyria
King Lear 1971 800 BC Celtic pre-Roman Britain
King Lear 1999 800 BC Celtic pre-Roman Britain
Romolo e Remo 1961 753 BC based on the story of Romulus and Remus, and the founding of the city of Rome
El Rapto de las Sabinas 1962 c. 750 BC early Roman foundation myth
Orazi e Curiazi 1961 c. 650 BC Roman legend of the Horatii
Le Sette Folgori di Assur 1962 c. 627 BC Neo-Assyrian Empire; focusing largely on Sardanapalus (probably the Greek name for Ashurbanipal, but anachronistically including Zoroaster (11th-10th century BC) and Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC)
La cortigiana di Babilonia 1954 600 BC Neo-Babylonian Empire
L'eroe di Babilonia 1963 539 BC Cyrus the Great conquer Babylonia
Il Colosso di Roma 1964 509 BC combining the Roman legends of Gaius Mucius Scaevola and the expulsion of Tarquin, the last tyrant
Coriolano: eroe senza patria 1964 493 BC Roman legend of Gaius Marcius Coriolanus
La battaglia di Maratona 1959 490 BC Greece: Battle of Marathon
The 300 Spartans 1961 480 BC Greece: Battle of Thermopylae
300 2007 480 BC Greece: Battle of Thermopylae
Ester e il re 1960 465-424 BC the biblical story of Esther
One Night with the King 2006 465-424 BC the biblical story of Esther set in the Achaemenid Empire
Il tiranno di Siracusa 1961 400 BC Syracuse, Sicily
Brenno il nemico di Roma 1963 387 BC the Gallic sack of Rome
Alexander the Great 1956 356-323 BC Greece and Persia
Alexander 2004 356-323 BC Greece and Persia
Il Colosso di Rodi 1961 280 BC
Asoka 2001 304-232 BC Asoka the Great, the Maurya Emperor in South Asia
Revak the Rebel 1960 c. 218 BC Iberian Peninsula immediately before the Second Punic War
Siege of Syracuse 1960 214-212 BC the Roman Siege of Syracuse during the Second Punic War
Cabiria 1914 (silent) 218-202 BC during the Second Punic War
The Secret Under the Rose 2006 218-202 BC during the Second Punic War
Hannibal 1959 218-202 BC during the Second Punic War
Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal 1937 202 BC Battle of Zama which ended the Second Punic War
The Centurion 1961 146 BC Battle of Corinth between Rome and the Achaean League
Spartaco 1953 73-71 BC the Third Servile War in Rome
Spartacus 1960 73-71 BC the Third Servile War in Rome
Spartacus 2004 73-71 BC the Third Servile War in Rome
Spartacus: Blood and Sand 2010 73-71 BC the Third Servile War in Rome
Julius Caesar 2002 100-44 BC a bio-pic of Julius Caesar, not the Shakespeare play about his death and the aftermath
Druids 2001 58-51 BC the struggle between Julius Caesar and Vercingetorix in the Gallic Wars
A Queen for Caesar 1962 48 BC Egypt leading up to the arrival of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar 1953 44-42 BC Shakespeare's play about the death and aftermath of this famous dictator
Julius Caesar 1970 44-42 BC Shakespeare's play about the death and aftermath of this famous dictator
Cleopatra 1934 48-30 BC Egypt and Rome - follows her relationships first with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony
Cleopatra 1963 48-30 BC Egypt and Rome - follows her relationships first with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony
Cleopatra 1999 48-30 BC
The Cleopatras 1983 305-30 BC Egypt - The entire Ptolemaic dynasty
Rome 2005–2007 52-30 BC from the end of the Gallic Wars to the death of Mark Antony and the beginning of the Principate
Empire 2005 1st century BC Rome
Imperium: Augustus 2003 49 BC - 14 AD Rome - the life of Augustus, the first emperor
Massacre in the Black Forest 1967 9 AD Germany - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, where the Cheruski ambushed and annihilated three Roman legions.
I, Claudius 1976 12 BC - 54 AD Rome - the reigns and family life of the Julio-Claudians
The Nativity Story 2006 7–2 BC Judea - The Biblical account of the nativity of Jesus, following the story of Mary and Joseph until the birth of Jesus occurs.
Jesus of Nazareth 1977 7–2 BC to 30–36 AD Judea - the life of Jesus christ
The Passion of the Christ 2004 33 AD Judea - The final 12 hours of Jesus christ life
The Caesars 1967 27 BC - 68 Rome - the Julio-Claudian dynasty
The Passion of the Christ 2004 c. 8-35 Roman Empire - the province of Judea
Ben-Hur 1959 c. 26-35 Roman Empire - mostly in the province of Judea
The Inquiry 2006 c. 37 Roman province of Judea shortly after the death of Jesus
The Robe 1953 30-36 Rome - ending reign of Tiberio, the beginning of Caligula
Caligula 1979 37-41 Rome - the reign of the third emperor
Demetrius and the Gladiators 1954 41 Ancient Rome - the end Caligula reign
Boudica 2003 60 Britain - a rebellion shortly after the area had been conquered by Rome
Nero 2004 41-68 Rome - spanning the reigns of Claudius and Nero
Quo Vadis 1951 54-68 Rome during the reign of Nero
Masada 1981 72-73 Roman province of Judea during the First Jewish–Roman War
Dacii 1967 86-87 Dacia (modern Romania) -Domitian's Dacian War
The Apocalypse 2002 c. 90-96 Rome - Ephesus
Revolt of the Praetorians 1964 96 Rome - the assassination of Domitian
The Column 1968 105-106 the Roman Emperor Trajan conquering Dacia
Centurion 2010 117 Roman Britain - the supposed fate of the Ninth Legion
The Eagle 2011 140 Roman Britain - a young Roman man attempts to find out what happened to his father and the Ninth Legion
The Fall of the Roman Empire 1964 180-192 Rome during the reign of Commodus
Gladiator 2000 180-192 Rome during the reign of Commodus
Red Cliff 2008 208-209 China during the Three Kingdoms era. The film chronicles the Battle of Red Cliffs between the forces of Cao Cao and the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei
The Magnificent Gladiator 1964 c. 260-268 Rome during the reign of Gallienus
Sheba and the Gladiator 1959 c. 260-273 Rome and the Palmyrene Empire during the reigns of Aurelian and Zenobia
Sebastiane 1976 c. 288 Rome Low-budget homo-erotic film about Saint Sebastian
Katherine of Alexandria 2012 307 Roman province of Egypt shortly before the legalization of Christianity
Constantine and the Cross 1962 306-312 AD Rome's first Christian emperor from the death of Constantius Chlorus to the Battle of the Milvian Bridge
Fabiola 1949 c. 312 Rome early in the reign of Constantine I
Mayura 1975 354-365 AD Kannada film set in Kadamba Dynasty, during the reign of Raja Mayurasharma
Augustine of Hippo 1972 354-430 Roman province of Africa
Augustine: The Decline of the Roman Empire 2010 354-430 Roman province of Africa - focusing on the life of Augustine of Hippo, and including the Vandal conquest of Carthage
Roar 1997 400 Ireland - Celtic warriors attempt to repel a fictitious Roman invasion
Agora 2009 c. 360-415 Life and death of scientist/philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria and the destruction of the Library.
Revenge of the Barbarians 1960 410 the Visigothic sack of Rome
St. Patrick: The Irish Legend 2000 387-493 Ireland and Roman Britain during the life of Saint Patrick
Attila 1954 406-453 Rome - the Hunnic leader up to his retreat from the Po river
Attila 2001 406-453 Rome - the life and death of the famous Hunnic leader
Die Nibelungen 1924 c. 450 about the Germanic hero Siegfried, his murder, and his widow's vengeance
Die Nibelungen 1967 c. 450 about the Germanic hero Siegfried, his murder, and his widow's vengeance
Ring of the Nibelungs 2004 c. 450 about the Germanic hero Siegfried
Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire 2006 2nd century BC - 410 From Tiberius Gracchus to the Sack of Rome (410). BBC Docu-drama.

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