Ranking the Greatest Sword-and-Sandal Films from 'Ben-Hur' to 'Caligula'

With Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' set to release—a $250 million, 70mm IMAX epic—Monopol magazine revisits the history of sword-and-sandal films. The genre, named for the footwear of its characters, flourished in the 1950s as Hollywood countered television with widescreen spectacles like 'The Robe.' Many films used ancient Rome as a mirror for American power. The article ranks ten classics: 10. 'Ulysses' (1954) starring Kirk Douglas; 9. 'Caligula' (1979), infamous for its sex and violence; 8. 'Gladiator' (2000), which won five Oscars; 7. 'Quo Vadis' (1951), filmed at Cinecittà; 6. 'Cleopatra' (1963), which nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox; 5. 'Spartacus' (1960), directed by Stanley Kubrick; 4. 'The Fall of the Roman Empire' (1964); 3. 'The Ten Commandments' (1956), starring Charlton Heston; 2. 'Land of the Pharaohs' (1955); and 1. 'Ben-Hur' (1959), the ultimate chariot-race epic. The list is male-dominated, reflecting the genre's focus on heroes and villains.