The Kingdom of Lydia is threatened, with the Persians approaching from
one side and the Macedonians led by Alexander the Great (Gabriele
Antonini) from the other, and Marcius (Massimo Serato), King of
Lydia, does not know what to do, because his commander in chief, Goliath
(Gordon Scott) suggests he should build an alliance with Alexander while
his crooked advisor Antafernes (Mimmo Palmara) suggests throwing in with
the Persians. Eventually, Marcius decides to listen to Goliath and has
messengers sent to Alexander, but Antafernes sees to it that they are all
killed makes it look like this was the work of the Macedonians ...
Still, somehow Goliath manages to get Alexander to Lydia and have him
not only sign a treaty which unites Lydia and Macedonia against the
Persians, he also has Alexander leave his ward Cori behind in Lydia, the
woman Goliath is in love with. Unfortunately though, Marcius falls in love
with her as well and under false pretense forces her to marry him.
On the day of their wedding though, Antafernes poisons Marcius and
makes it look as if it was the work of Cori - who is somehow able to
escape Marcius' court and Lydia as such - and Goliath, whom he has
incarcerated. Then Antafernes proclaims himself the new king and proclaims
Cori - the rightful ruler of Lydia since she has married Marcius - dead to
avoid complications.
Cori however is picked up by a bunch of slavers and brought back
to Lydia as a slave for sale, while Goliath is freed by a bunch of his
rebel friends ... and wouldn't you know it, in the end, witht he help of
Alexander the Great, tyrant Antafernes is overthrown, Cori is freed from
slavery, and Goliath and cori marry to rule over Lydia as king and queen.
A rather routine peplum (= Italian sword and sandal film), definitely
nothing great - not even in the realms of peplum - but competently crafted
and not an insult of the viewer's intelligence, like some ther peplums
are. If you don't watch it with too high expectations, you might even like
it.
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