''Brenno il nemico di Roma'' ( ''Brennus, Enemy of Rome'' and ''Battle of the Spartans'') is a 1963 Italian peplum film directed by

Giacomo Gentilomo Giacomo Gentilomo (5 April 1909 – 16 April 2001) was an Italian film director and Painting, painter. Early life He was born in Trieste. Gentilomo moved to Rome at a young age. Career At 21 years old he entered the cinema industry, working ...

. The movie portrays the sack of Rome in 387 BC and was written by

Adriano Bolzoni Adriano Bolzoni (14 April 1919 – 2003) was an Italian journalist, writer and film director. Life and career Born in Cremona, Bolzoni started his career as a journalist, being war correspondent from the front of World War II. Later, he be ...

, Arpad DeRiso, and Nino Scolaro.

Plot

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, early 4th century BC. The Gallic king

Brennus Brennus or Brennos is the name of two Gaulish chieftains, famous in ancient history: * Brennus, chieftain of the Senones, a Gallic tribe originating from the modern areas of France known as Seine-et-Marne, Loiret, and Yonne; in 387 BC, in th ...

heads from northern Europe to the eternal city. In Rome, high-ranking political and military figures engage in affairs with local noblewomen, and the barbarian easily takes advantage. The Romans admit defeat and promise him a priestess, but her fiancé, Quintus Fabius, kidnaps her upon hearing about it. Brennus reacts by confronting and defeating the Romans, reaching Rome and obtaining a significant loot through plunder. However, Quintus Fabius returns to Rome, faces Brennus, and kills him in battle. The movie's plot doesn't match the real events of the sack of Rome in 390 BC when the Senonian Gauls, led by Brennus, looted and occupied the city.

Cast

Gordon Mitchell Gordon Mitchell (born Charles Allen Pendleton; July 29, 1923 – September 20, 2003) was an American actor and bodybuilder, known for his starring roles in Italian sword-and-sandal and Spaghetti Western films. Early life Charles Allen Pendleto ...

* Ursula Davis as Nissia *

Massimo Serato Massimo Serato (born Giuseppe Segato; 31 May 1917 – 22 December 1989) was an Italian film actor with a career spanning over 40 years. Biography Serato was born in Oderzo, Veneto, Italy and started appearing in films in 1938. He played leading ...

Marcus Furius Camillus Marcus Furius Camillus (; possibly – ) was a Roman statesman and politician during the early Roman republic who is most famous for his capture of Veii and defence of Rome from Gallic sack after the Battle of the Allia. Modern scholars are dub ...

* Tony Kendall as Quintus Fabius *

Erno Crisa Erno Crisa (10 March 1914 – 4 April 1968) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1944 and 1968. His last film was the spaghetti western '' Sugar Colt''. Partial filmography * '' Sideral Cruises'' (1942) - L'h ...

as Decius Vatinius *

Pietro Tordi Pietro Tordi (12 July 1906 – 14 December 1990) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 100 films between 1942 and 1988. He was born in Florence, Italy. Selected filmography * '' Doctor Antonio'' (1937) - L'altro conspiratore * '' Don C ...

as Vaxo *

Nerio Bernardi Nerino "Nerio" Bernardi (23 July 1899 – 12 January 1971) was an Italian stage and film actor. He appeared in nearly 200 films between 1918 and 1970. Life and career Born in Bologna, Bernardi started his acting career in 1918 with a loc ...

Reception

A contemporary review describes the film as a pseudo-historical depiction to which a sentimental plot has been added. The film is noted as one of the rare cinematographic depictions of the invasions of Northern Italy by the

Senones The Senones or Senonii (Gaulish: "the ancient ones") were an ancient Gallic tribe dwelling in the Seine basin, around present-day Sens, during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Part of the Senones settled in the Italian peninsula, where the ...

References

External links

* 1963 films Films set in the 4th century BC Films set in ancient Rome Italian films based on actual events 1960s historical films Sword-and-sandal Sword-and-sandal films 1960s Italian films Cultural depictions of Brennus {{historic-film-stub

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Cast

Reception

See also

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External links