One of the first two-hour films ever made.
When this film was first shown in New York Broadway theaters, the prime admission price was an extraordinary $1.00.
In an arena scene where a Thracian defeats a Retiatius, the director filmed the final matching exactly the painting "Police Verso / Thumbs Down" (1872) by Jean-Léon Gérôme, now at the Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona, USA.
The film used over 5,000 extras, a vast number for a pre-WWI movie.
When this was imported and shown in the United States, it was reportedly the first motion picture to be shown in Broadway theaters.