The Giant of Marathon is a 1959 Italian sword and sandal

Sword and sandal

The Peplum , also known as Sword-and-Sandal, is a genre of largely Italian-made Historical or Biblical Epics that dominated the Italian film industry from 1957 to 1965, eventually being replaced in 1965 by the "Spaghetti Western"...

 film. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur

Jacques Tourneur

Jacques Tourneur was a French-American film director.-Life:Born in Paris, France, he was the son of film director Maurice Tourneur. At age 10, Jacques moved to the United States with his father. He started a career in cinema while still attending high school as an extra and later as a script clerk...

 and Mario Bava

Mario Bava

Mario Bava was an Italian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer remembered as one of the greatest names from the "golden age" of Italian horror films.-Biography:Mario Bava was born in San Remo, Liguria, Italy...

 (Bava had to step in to complete the film). It starred Steve Reeves

Steve Reeves

Stephen L. Reeves was an American bodybuilder and actor. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe.-Childhood:...

 as Pheidippides

Pheidippides

Pheidippides , hero of Ancient Greece, is the central figure in a story which was the inspiration for a modern sporting event, the marathon.-The story:...

 (Phillipides in the film).

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

The Film Crew

The Film Crew were a comedic team similar to Mystery Science Theater 3000, comprising former MST3K cast members Michael J. Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy...

.

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
  Steve Reeves
  Stephen L. Reeves was an American bodybuilder and actor. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe.-Childhood:...
  
   as Phidippides
• Mylène Demongeot
  Mylène Demongeot
  Mylène Demongeot is a French actress, who has appeared in 72 films since 1953. She was born Marie-Hélène Demongeot in Nice, Southern France....
  
   as Andromeda, Creuso's daughter
• Sergio Fantoni
  Sergio Fantoni
  Sergio Fantoni, is an Italian actor.He was born in Rome, the son of actor Cesare Fantoni . In films from the late 1940s, he has worked mainly in his own country but made several appearances in American films in the 1960s, most notably opposite Frank Sinatra in the war film Von Ryan's Express,...
  
   as Teocrito
• Daniela Rocca
  Daniela Rocca
  Daniela Rocca was an Italian model and actress.Rocca was born and raised in Acireale, a poor neighborhood in Catania. She became Miss Catania in 1953, and was discovered by talent scouts after competing in a Miss Italy competition...
  
   as Karis
• Philippe Hersent as Callimaco
• Alberto Lupo
  Alberto Lupo
  Alberto Lupo was an Italian film and television actor best known for his roles in swash-buckling and actions films of the 1960s....
  
   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
  Ivo Garrani
  Ivo Garrani is an Italian actor. In films since 1952, Garrani is possibly best known for his role as Prince Vajda in Mario Bava's Black Sunday .-External links:...
  
   as Creuso
• Sergio Ciani as Euros
• Franco Fantasia
• Carlo Lombardi
  Carlo Lombardi
  Tenente Carlo Francesco Lombardi was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. Postwar, he was active in his family's rice refinery, as well as in record breaking flights...
  
  
• Ignazio Balsamo
• Gian Paolo Rosmino
• Walter Grant
  Walter Grant
  Walter Grant was a Scottish professional football midfielder who played for Scottish clubs and , and English club .Grant joined Aberdeen in 1915. His career was interrupted by the Great War in 1916, but resumed in 1919. He played exactly 100 games for Aberdeen before leaving to join in 1925...