Greek & Roman Era / Mythological Epics
1. Gladiator (2000) – A Roman general turns gladiator to seek revenge and justice.

Gladiator is an epic historical drama directed by Ridley Scott , starring Russell Crowe in his iconic Oscar-winning role as Maximus Decimus Meridius , a loyal Roman general betrayed and forced into slavery, who rises to become a vengeful gladiator seeking justice.

Set in ancient Rome around 180 AD, the film begins with Maximus leading the Roman army to a decisive victory under the command of Emperor Marcus Aurelius . The aging emperor favors Maximus as successor over his own unstable son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), sparking jealousy and betrayal.

After Commodus murders his father and seizes the throne, he orders the execution of Maximus and his family. Maximus narrowly escapes death and is sold into slavery, where he becomes a gladiator in the Colosseum. As he fights for survival and revenge, he gains fame and the attention of the Roman people — and eventually, Commodus himself.

What follows is a brutal clash between honor and tyranny, as Maximus battles not only ᴅᴇᴀᴅly opponents in the arena but also the corrupt ruler who destroyed his life.

2. 300 (2006) & 300: Rise of an Empire (2014) – Stylized retellings of Greek resistance against the Persian Empire.

A companion piece and partial prequel to 300 , Rise of an Empire focuses on the naval war between Greece and Persia , told primarily from the perspective of Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton), an Athenian general determined to protect his people from Persian domination.

While King Leonidas fights on land, Themistocles leads the Greek navy in a desperate campaign to stop Xerxes’ expansion. He faces off against the ruthless naval commander Artemisia (Eva Green), a fictionalized version of the real historical figure — now portrayed as a vengeful Egyptian-born Persian queen who leads the Persian fleet with brutal efficiency.

The film follows key naval battles including Artemisium and Salamis , where Themistocles uses cunning strategy to defeat the larger Persian fleet. It ends with the Greeks gaining hope and unity, setting the stage for the eventual Battle of Plataea.

3. Troy (2004) – The epic siege of Troy, featuring Achilles, Hector, and ancient glory.

The war begins when Paris (Orlando Bloom), prince of Troy, falls in love with Helen (Diane Kruger), the beautiful wife of King Menelaus of Sparta. Paris takes Helen to Troy, sparking outrage among the Greek kingdoms. In response, Menelaus’ brother, Agamemnon (Brian Cox), gathers Greece’s greatest warriors — including Achilles — to launch an invasion of Troy.

Achilles, a nearly invincible warrior who longs for eternal glory, joins the campaign reluctantly but soon becomes a central figure in the brutal conflict. As the Greeks lay siege to Troy, tensions rise between Achilles and Hector (Eric Bana), the noble and courageous heir to Troy’s throne.

Meanwhile, Hector must protect his city and family from both the invading army and the consequences of his brother Paris’ actions. The film builds toward a dramatic climax where honor, love, pride, and fate collide on the battlefield.

In the end, the Greeks use the famous Trojan Horse to infiltrate the city and bring the decade-long war to a devastating conclusion.

4. Alexander (2004) – The rise and conquests of Alexander the Great.

Alexander is a historical epic drama directed by Oliver Stone , starring Colin Farrell in the тιтle role as Alexander the Great , the young Macedonian king who built one of the largest empires of the ancient world before his 30th birthday.

The film chronicles the life and conquests of Alexander, from his youth and education under Aristotle (Christopher Plummer), to his rise as king following the ᴀssᴀssination of his father, King Philip II of Macedon (Val Kilmer).

Motivated by dreams of glory and inspired by Greek ideals, Alexander leads his armies across Persia, Egypt, and into India, defeating the mighty Persian Empire under Darius III (Jordi Mollà) and spreading Hellenistic culture throughout the known world.

However, as his empire grows, so do his inner struggles — with power, idenтιтy, loyalty, and mortality. The film explores not only his military genius but also his personal relationships, including with his mother Olympias (Angelina Jolie), his close friend and possible lover Hephaestion (Jared Leto), and his conflicted leadership style.

5. Hercules (2014) – Dwayne Johnson stars in a grounded retelling of the Greek demigod’s legacy.

The film follows Hercules and his band of loyal warriors — known as The Nine — who are hired across ancient Thrace to fight wars, defeat monsters, and bring peace where they can. Rumors say he’s the son of Zeus, but Hercules himself never confirms or denies his divine origins, allowing the legend to grow and inspire fear in his enemies.

When a powerful Thracian king is killed and his kingdom falls into chaos, Hercules and his team are hired to help train the new army and restore order. But soon, they uncover a sinister plot led by the ruthless warlord Rhesus (Ian McShane), who plans to manipulate the region through fear, deception, and hidden forces.

As betrayal and conspiracy unfold, Hercules must rely on his strength, tactical genius, and unbreakable bond with his comrades to face the greatest threat yet — not only for Thrace, but for his own legacy.

6. Clash of the тιтans (2010) & Wrath of the тιтans (2012) – Mythological fantasy battles between gods and mortals.

Clash of the тιтans is an action-fantasy film inspired by Greek mythology. It follows Perseus , a mortal warrior believed to be the son of Zeus, who must rise up and embrace his destiny to save humanity.

The story begins as the city of Argos faces destruction after angering the gods — especially Hades , the god of the underworld. The monstrous Medusa is unleashed upon the land, turning people into stone. When the fearsome sea creature Kraken is summoned to destroy Argos, Perseus steps forward to lead a desperate mission to stop it.

Guided by the gods but driven by his own will, Perseus gathers a team of warriors and faces ᴅᴇᴀᴅly creatures, including Medusa and the Scorpion King , in a battle for survival. Ultimately, he must accept his divine heritage to become the hero the world needs.

7. Immortals (2011) – A stylized and violent take on Greek myth and war.

Theseus, a young warrior from Mycenae, refuses to bow to King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke), a ruthless tyrant determined to become a god. Hyperion seeks the Bow of Epirus , a divine weapon hidden in a sacred temple that can free the imprisoned тιтans — ancient giants capable of destroying the world.

Guided by visions from the goddess ** Athena**, Theseus becomes the reluctant leader of a band of warriors tasked with stopping Hyperion’s army. As battles rage across the land, Theseus learns he must embrace his destiny not only as a fighter but as a symbol of hope for humanity.

The film follows his transformation from a vengeful man into a true hero, willing to sacrifice everything to prevent the тιтans from being unleashed upon the world.

8. The Last Legion (2007) – A fictional tale linking the fall of Rome to the origins of King Arthur.

9. Ben-Hur (1959 / 2016) – A tale of betrayal, redemption, and one of cinema’s most iconic chariot races.

10. Spartacus (1960) – The legendary slave revolt against the Roman Empire.

11. Centurion (2010) – A Roman legion trapped behind enemy lines in ancient Britain.

12. The Eagle (2011) – A young Roman seeks to restore his family’s honor by retrieving a lost legion’s standard.

Ancient Egypt & Biblical Middle East
13. Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) – Christian Bale portrays Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt.

14. The Prince of Egypt (1998) – An acclaimed animated retelling of the story of Moses.

15. Gods of Egypt (2016) – A fantasy-action take on Egyptian mythology and divine conflict.

Celtic, Viking, and Early Europe
16. Braveheart (1995) – Mel Gibson as William Wallace, fighting for Scotland’s independence.

17. Kingdom of Heaven (2005) – Set during the Crusades, following a knight defending Jerusalem.

18. Valhalla Rising (2009) – A dark, atmospheric Viking saga with mythological undertones.

19. The Northman (2022) – A brutal Viking revenge epic inspired by Norse legend.

Ancient Asia
20. Hero (2002, China) – A beautifully choreographed film about ᴀssᴀssination plots in the Qin dynasty.

21. Red Cliff (2008–2009, China) – A mᴀssive war epic set during the Three Kingdoms era.

22. Mongol (2007) – Chronicles the early life of Genghis Khan and his rise to power.

A Farmer’s Misplaced Hammer Led to the Largest Roman Treasure in Britain

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November 16, 1992 was the day which changed Suffolk-resident Eric Lawes’ life in a huge way. What he thought would have been an innocent search for a hammer he had misplaced on his farm in Hoxne Village, Suffolk, England ended up bringing him much more than he had bargained for — namely, uncovering the hiding spot of a long-hidden treasure. Based on the Guardian’s coverage of the story, Eric Lawes had been previously gifted a metal detector upon his retirement as a parting token. He decided to put his retirement gift to good use in order to locate the hammer which he had had some trouble finding. According to a 2018 Smithsonian Magazine article, when the device started recording that there was a strong signal coming from the earth, he knew that he was about to discover something big. As he started digging, it soon became clear to him that he had unearthed a treasure trove.

The Guardian reports that, when Lawes saw that his preliminary digging had yielded a few gold coins and silver spoons, he immediately contacted both the local archaeological society and the police department. Archaeologists came to the property the following day and had the area of earth holding the treasure carefully sectioned-off and removed. Their hope was that at a later stage, in their laboratory, they could examined the items in order to identify both their age and how they were stored.

When all was said and done, close to 60 pounds of items made from silver and gold were found on the site. These included more than 15,000 Roman coins, 200 gold objects, and several silver spoons. For archaeologists, this find — which later became labeled as the Hoxne Hoard — was an incredible discovery. AP News reported that archaeologist Judith Plouviez was over-the-moon about the discovery, saying that it was “an incredibly exciting and amazing find.” What’s more, another archaeologist, Rachel Wilkinson, told Smithsonian Magazine that this discovery was “the largest and latest ever found in Britain.”

Ordinarily, archaeologists would use radiocarbon dating as a means of identifying the age of ancient relics. However, they couldn’t locate any suitable material from the haul. Consequently, they determined the age by examining writing on the coins, as well as the ruler carved into them, estimating that the treasure was probably buried in either 408 or 409 AD.

Roman-era archaeologist Peter Guest told Smithsonian Magazine that “if you look at them a little more carefully, then they should be dated to the period after the separation of Britain from the Roman Empire.” He offers as part of his evidence the fact that almost all of the coins found in the Hoxne Hoard were clipped – in other words, small chunks of their edges had been taken off. These clippings would have been used to create coins which were similar to the Roman coins of that era.

Guest has a logical reason for this, arguing that “The Roman Empire wasn’t supplying Britain with new gold and silver coins, and in light of that, the population tried to get over this sudden cutoff in the supply of their precious metals by making the existing supplies go further.”

Archaeologists also believe that the treasure belonged to a Romano-British family. During that time, considering that there was so much societal discord and upheaval, it was common for Romans who had settled in Britain to bury their most prized possessions.

That said, one archaeologist is of the belief that the hoard had a lot of sentimental value for the Romano-British family to whom it is believed to have belonged. In her book The Hoxne Late Roman Treasure: Gold Jewellery and Silver Plate, Catherine Johns claims that the manner in which the treasure was kept supported this claim. Some of the items which were recovered had been packaged in small, wooden boxes which were lined with leather. What’s more, pieces of wood, locks, and nails, among other things, surrounded the gold and silver pieces. This leads Catherine to assert that the package was carefully buried and not simply chucked away in a rush.

Interestingly enough, the items unearthed might shed some light on the identity of the family who owned them. They cite a gold bracelet bearing the inscription “UTERE FELIX DOMINA IULIANE,” which roughly translates to “use this happily Lady Juliane”. A second name “Aurelius Ursicinus” has also been discovered. This has consequently led some to believe that Juliane and Aurelius were the couple and the original owners of the treasure. That said, that has yet to be confirmed.

All in all, the discovery was a real treasure for archaeologists, and by extension, for Lawes. According to Smithsonian Magazine, in recognition of his discovery and willingness to contact authorities, the British government rewarded him with over £1.7 million, an amount which he shared with the farmer whose land was dug out in order to get the treasure. Funnily enough, apart from the treasure, Lawes also found his lost hammer — which now resides in the British Museum.