Set against the back drop of Rome in crisis, General Marcus Vinicius returns to the city from the battle fields and falls in love with a Christian woman, Lygia. Caught in the grip of insanity, Nero's atrocities become more extreme and he burns Rome, laying the blame on the Christians. Vinicius races to save Lygia from the wrath of Nero as the empire of Rome collapses around them.
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Robert Taylor | Marcus Vinicius |
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Deborah Kerr | Lygia |
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Leo Genn | Petronius |
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Peter Ustinov | Nero |
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Bud Spencer | Imperial Guard |
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Patricia Laffan | Poppaea |
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Finlay Currie | Peter |
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Abraham Sofaer | Paul |
| Marina Berti | Eunice | |
| Buddy Baer | Ursus | |
| Felix Aylmer | Plautius | |
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Nora Swinburne | Pomponia |
| Ralph Truman | Tigellinus | |
| Norman Wooland | Nerva | |
| Peter Miles | Nazarius |
Camera |
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|---|---|
| William V. Skall | Director of Photography |
| Robert Surtees | Director of Photography |
Directing |
| Mervyn LeRoy | Director |
| Anthony Mann | Director |
Editing |
| Ralph E. Winters | Editor |
Production |
| Sam Zimbalist | Producer |
Sound |
| Miklós Rózsa | Original Music Composer |
Writing |
| S.N. Behrman | Screenplay |
| Sonya Levien | Screenplay |
| John Lee Mahin | Screenplay |
| Henryk Sienkiewicz | Novel |