The Loves of Hercules

Plot

While Hercules (Mickey Hargitay) is away, his village is plundered and his wife is killed by the army of Ecalia as the first part of a scheme by the treacherous Licos (Massimo Serato) to gain the throne of Ecalia for himself. Licos plans that Hercules will come to Ecalia for vengeance and murders the King himself to save Ecalia from his revenge. Hercules learns of the murder of his wife and seeks vengeance, but is thwarted when the King's daughter and heir to the throne, Queen Deianira, offers herself rather than her realm of Ecalia as the guilty party. In accordance with the law Deianira must face the wrath of Hercules; she is bound to a wall as Hercules throws axes at her that miss Deianira proving her innocence in the eyes of the gods.

Hercules admires Deianira and her bravery. When escorting Deianira back to her capital they come across a band of peasants who have been attacked by a monster. As Hercules seeks the monster their cattle is stampeded and Hercules kills a wild bull with his dagger. Arriving in the city Hercules discovers Deinaira is betrothed to Acheloo and leaves.

The resourceful Licos hatches another scheme where he murders Acheloo with the dagger Hercules left behind in the bull; not only casting guilt on Hercules but making Deianira available for marriage to him. The actual murderer is sent by Licos to the Underworld with the plan that Hercules can only prove his innocence by going to the Underworld where no mortal has ever returned from due to the monstrous Hydra.

The real murderer is killed by the Hydra, Hercules kills the Hydra but his battle weakens him into unconsciousness where he is rescued by the Amazons, ruled by Queen Hippolyta (Tina Gloriana). Hippolyta turns her lovers into living trees after making love to them, but Hercules is only interested in Deinaira. Angered that a man is not interested in her but determined to make love to Hercules and turn him into a tree, Hippolyta's advisor suggests the only way she can gain the attention of Hercules is to change her face and body through magic into resembling Deianira (Mansfield with red hair). Hercules manages to escape with his life due to the help of the Amazon Némée (Moira Orfei) while the Queen is done in by one of her victims. He eventually returns to free Queen Deinaira and Ecalia.

Alternative titles

Biography