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Medusa - 20th Century Fox

In Greek mythology Medusa guardian, protectress was a monster, a Gorgon, generally described as having the face of a hideous human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone. Most sources describe her as the daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, though the author Hyginus (Fabulae, 151) interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents.

Medusa was beheaded by the hero Perseus, who thereafter used her head as a weapon until he gave it to the goddess Athena to place on her shield. In classical antiquity the image of the head of Medusa appeared in the evil-averting device known as the Gorgoneion.

List of films based on Greco-Roman mythology

Films related to Homer, the Trojan War or Aeneas

Clash of the Titans (1981)
Clash of the Titans (2010)
Wrath of the Titans (2012)
L'Île de Calypso: Ulysse et le géant Polyphème (1905)
Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Sea of Monsters (2013)
Odissea (1911)
Helena (1924)
Ulysses (1955)
Helen of Troy (1956)
La Guerra di Troia (1961) Italy
La Leggenda di Enea (1961) Italy
Ulysses (1967), a film adaptation of James Joyce's novel of Ulysses
L'Odissea (1968) Italy - TV mini-series
Eneide (1971) Yugoslavia/Italy - TV miniseries
The Return of Ulysses to His Homeland (1973) UK - TV movie
Immortals (2011)
Uliisses (1982) Germany
Les Troyens (1984) United States - TV movie
Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (1985) Austria - TV filmed version of the opera
Ulysses' Gaze (1995) Greece
Dido & Aeneas (1995) UK - TV movie
Dido and Aeneas (1995) Canada - filmed version of the opera
The Odyssey (1997)
Hercules (1997)
The Animated Odyssey (2000) United States - animated TV movie
Helen of Troy (2003)
L'Odyssée (2003) Canada - TV movie
Troy (2004)
Alexander (2004) - Stars: Colin Farrell, Anthony Hopkins and Rosario Dawson )
300 (2007)
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters (2013)
Films related to Jason and the Argonauts[edit]

Hercules (Le Fatiche di Ercole/ The Labors of Hercules, 1958) starring Steve Reeves
Jason and the Argonauts (1963) United States
Jason and the Argonauts (2000) United States - TV mini-series
The Spirit (2008) United States - features the Golden Fleece and the blood of Heracles.
Films related to Hercules

Main article: Italian Hercules film series (1957-1965)

The complete Italian Hercules series (in chronological order)

The films are listed below by their American release titles, and the titles in parentheses are the original Italian titles.

Hercules (Le Fatiche di Ercole/ The Labors of Hercules, 1958) starring Steve Reeves
Hercules Unchained (Ercole e la regina di Lidia/ Hercules and the Queen of Lydia, 1959) starring Steve Reeves
Goliath and the Dragon (La Vendetta di Ercole/ The Revenge of Hercules, 1960) (this Hercules film had its title changed to "Goliath" when it was distributed in the USA for some reason)
Hercules Vs The Hydra (Gli Amori di Ercole/ The Loves of Hercules, 1960) co-starring Jayne Mansfield
Hercules and the Captive Women (Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide/ Hercules at the Conquest of Atlantis, aka Hercules and the Haunted Women) 1961
Hercules in the Haunted World (Ercole al centro della terra/ Hercules at the Center of the Earth) 1961 (directed by Mario Bava)
Hercules in the Vale of Woe (Maciste contro Ercole nella valle dei guai/ Maciste Vs. Hercules in the Vale of Woe) 1961 (this was made as a semi-comedy/ satire on peplums)
Ulysses Vs. The Son of Hercules (Ulisse contro Ercole/ Ulysses Vs. Hercules) 1962
The Fury of Hercules (La Furia di Ercole/ The Fury of Hercules, aka The Fury of Samson) 1962
Hercules, Samson and Ulysses (Ercole sfida Sansone/ Hercules Challenges Samson) 1963
Hercules Vs. the Moloch (Ercole contro Molock/ Hercules Vs. Moloch, aka The Conquest of Mycene) 1963
Son of Hercules in the Land of Darkness (Ercole l'invincibile/ Hercules, the Invincible) 1964 (this was originally a Hercules film that was retitled to "Son of Hercules" so that it could be included in the "Sons of Hercules" TV syndication package)
Hercules Vs. The Giant Warrior (il Trionfo di Ercole/ The Triumph of Hercules, aka Hercules and the Ten Avengers) 1964
Hercules Against Rome (Ercole contro Roma, 1964)
Hercules Against the Sons of the Sun (Ercole contro i figli del sole, 1964)
Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon (Ercole contro i tiranni di Babilonia, 1964)
Samson and the Mighty Challenge (Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus, gli invincibili, aka Combate dei Gigantes) 1964 (this was more of a comedy/ satire on peplums & featured Hercules prominently in the plot)
Hercules and the Princess of Troy (no Italian title, aka "Hercules vs. the Sea Monster", 1965) (this 48-minute Italian/U.S. co-production was made as a pilot for a Charles Band-produced TV series that never materialized)
Hercules, the Avenger (Sfida dei giganti/ Challenge of the Giants, 1965) a cheaply made-for-TV quickie that consisted mostly of re-edited stock footage from 2 earlier Italian Hercules films, "Ercole al centro della terra" and "Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide").
(Note* - A number of English-dubbed Italian films that featured the Hercules name in their title were never intended to be Hercules movies by their Italian creators. "Hercules, Prisoner of Evil" was actually a retitled Ursus film, "Hercules and the Black Pirate" and "Hercules and the Treasure of the Incas" were both retitled Samson movies, "Hercules and the Masked Rider" was actually a retitled Goliath movie, while the films "Hercules Against the Moon Men," "Hercules Against the Barbarians," "Hercules Against the Mongols" and "Hercules of the Desert" were all originally Maciste films. None of these films in their original Italian versions were connected to the Hercules character in any way. Likewise, most of the "Sons of Hercules" movies shown on American TV in the 1960s had nothing to do with Hercules in their original Italian incarnations.
Other Hercules-related films-
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) United States (comedy)
Hercules in New York (1970) United States (aka "Hercules Goes Bananas", starring Arnold Schwarzenegger)
Hercules (1983) Italy, United States (starring Lou Ferrigno)
Le Avventure dell'incredibile Ercole (1985) Italy, United States (aka Hercules 2, starring Lou Ferrigno)
Hercules and the Amazon Women (1994) United States - TV movie
Hercules and the Circle of Fire (1994) United States - TV movie
Hercules and the Lost Kingdom (1994) United States - TV movie
Hercules in the Underworld (1994) United States - TV movie
Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur (1994) United States - TV movie
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995–99) United States - TV series
Xena: Warrior Princess (1995–2001) - TV series (Spinoff of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys)
Hercules (1997) United States - animated (Walt Disney)
The Amazing Feats of Young Hercules (1997) United States - animated, direct to video
Young Hercules (1998) United States - direct to video
Young Hercules (1998–99) United States - TV series
Hercules and Xena - The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus (1998) United States - animated, straight to video
Himcules (1998–99) - animated TV series
Hercules (2005) - TV miniseries

Related to Amazons

La Regina delle Amazzoni (1960) aka Colossus and the Amazon Queen
Le Gladiatrici (1963)
Le Amazzoni - donne d'amore e di guerra (1973)
Dschungelmädchen für zwei Halunken (1974)
Wonder Woman (1975–78) United States - TV show
Gold of the Amazon Women (197
9) (TV)
Wonder Woman (2009)
Related to Sons of Hercules

The Sons of Hercules was a syndicated television show that aired in the United States of America in the 1960s. The series repackaged 14 Italian sword-and-sandal films by giving them a memorable theme song and a standard intro relating the lead character in each film to the Greek demigod Hercules any way they could. The first title listed for each film was its American television title, followed by the original Italian title in parentheses:

Mole Men versus the Son of Hercules (Maciste, The Strongest Man in the World) starring Mark Forest as Maciste
The Terror of Rome versus the Son of Hercules (Maciste, Gladiator of Sparta) starring Mark Forest as Maciste
Fire Monsters Against The Son Of Hercules (Maciste Vs. The Monsters) starring Reg Lewis as Maciste
Triumph Of The Son Of Hercules (The Triumph Of Maciste) starring Kirk Morris as Maciste
Son Of Hercules In The Land Of Darkness (Hercules The Invincible) starring Dan Vadis as Hercules
Ulysses Vs. The Son Of Hercules (Ulysses Against Hercules) starring Mike Lane as Hercules
Son Of Hercules In The Land Of Fire (Ursus In The Land Of Fire) starring Ed Fury as Ursus
Ursus, Son Of Hercules (aka Ursus, aka Mighty Ursus) starring Ed Fury as Ursus
The Tyrant Of Lydia Vs. The Son Of Hercules (Goliath and the Rebel Slave) starring Gordon Scott as Goliath
Messalina Against the Son Of Hercules (The Last Gladiator) starring Richard Harrison as Glaucus
Devil Of The Desert Vs. The Son Of Hercules (Anthar The Invincible) starring Kirk Morris as Anthar
Medusa Vs. The Son Of Hercules (Perseus The Invincible) starring Richard Harrison as Perseus
Beast Of Babylon Versus The Son Of Hercules (Hero Of Babylon) starring Gordon Scott as Prince Nippur
Venus Against The Son Of Hercules (Mars, God Of War) starring Roger Browne as Mars

Related to Perseus

Perseo l'invincibile (1963) (aka Medusa Vs The Son of Hercules)
Clash of the Titans (1981)
Clash of the Titans (2010)
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) main character named after Perseus
Wrath of the Titans (2012)
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters(2013) main character named after Perseus

Related to Pygmalion

Pygmalion (1937)
My Fair Lady (1964)
Duck, You Sucker! (1971)
Weird Science (1985)
Mannequin (1987)
Mighty Aphrodite (1995)

Related to Orpheus

Orphée (1949) France
Black Orpheus (1959) Brazil
Orfeu (1999) Brazil
Orpheus (2005)

Films related to Ursus

Ursus was a super-human pseudo-Biblical/Roman character who was used as the hero in a series of Italian films made in the 1960s.

There were a total of 9 Italian sword-and-sandal films that featured Ursus as the main character, as follows:

Ursus (aka Mighty Ursus, aka Ursus, Son of Hercules) 1961 (starring Ed Fury)
La Vendetta di Ursus (The Revenge of Ursus) 1961 (starring Samson Burke)
Ursus Nella Valle dei Leoni (Ursus in the Valley of the Lions, aka Valley of the Lions) 1961 (starring Ed Fury)
Ursus e la Ragazza Tartara (Ursus and the Tartar Princess, aka Ursus and the Tartar Girl, aka The Tartar Invasion) 1962 (starring Joe Robinson)
Ursus Nella Terra di Fuoco (Ursus in the Land of Fire, aka Son of Hercules in the Land of Fire) 1963 (starring Ed Fury)
Ursus il Gladiatore Rebelle (Ursus, the Rebel Gladiator, aka The Rebel Gladiators) 1963 (starring Dan Vadis)
Ursus il Terrore dei Kirghisi (Ursus, the Terror of the Kirghiz, aka Hercules, Prisoner of Evil) 1964 (starring Reg Park)
Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus, gli invincibili (Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: The Invincibles, aka Samson and the Mighty Challenge, aka Combate dei gigantes) 1964 (this was a satire/ comedy poking fun at the sword-and-sandal genre, and starred Yan Larvor as Ursus)
Gli Invincibili Tre (The Invincible Three, aka The Three Invincibles, aka Three Avengers) 1964 (Ursus was the lead hero in this film, played by Alan Steel.)

Films based on Theseus and the Minotaur of Crete

Minotaur, the Wild Beast of Crete, a 1960 Italian film starring Bob Mathias, loosely based on the mythological story
Minotaur, a 2006 horror film
The Hunger Games, a 2012 American film based on the myth
The immortals

Films based on the Titans

Arrivano i titani, a 1962 Italian comedy including the mythological characters Cadmus and the Titans, starring Giuliano Gemma and Pedro Armendáriz. (credit: Wikipedia)

Roman mythology

Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans. "Roman mythology" may also refer to the modern study of these representations, and to the subject matter as represented in the literature and art of other cultures in any period.

The Romans usually treated their traditional narratives as historical, even when these have miraculous or supernatural elements. The stories are often concerned with politics and morality, and how an individual's personal integrity relates to his or her responsibility to the community or Roman state. Heroism is an important theme. When the stories illuminate Roman religious practices, they are more concerned with ritual, augury, and institutions than with theology or cosmogony.

The study of Roman religion and myth is complicated by the early influence of Greek religion on the Italian peninsula during Rome's protohistory, and by the later artistic imitation of Greek literary models by Roman authors. In matters of theology, the Romans were curiously eager to identify their own gods with those of the Greeks (interpretatio graeca), and to reinterpret stories about Greek deities under the names of their Roman counterparts. Rome's early myths and legends also have a dynamic relationship with Etruscan religion, less documented than that of the Greeks.

While Roman mythology may lack a body of divine narratives as extensive as that found in Greek literature, Romulus and Remus suckling the she-wolf is as famous as any image from Greek mythology except for the Trojan Horse. Because Latin literature was more widely known in Europe throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, the interpretations of Greek myths by the Romans often had the greater influence on narrative and pictorial representations of "classical mythology" than Greek sources. In particular, the versions of Greek myths in Ovid's Metamorphoses, written during the reign of Augustus, came to be regarded as canonical. (credit: Wikipedia)