Ursus

Ursus is a literary character--the loyal servant of princess Lygia and a Christian convert at the time of Emperor Nero. The character was created by Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz in the novel Quo Vadis? (1895).

<Fiction : Ursus (literature) -- Ursus (art) -- Ursus (cinema) -- Ursus (music)>

Overview

In Sienkiewicz's novel (Quo Vadis?), with his strength Ursus saves Lygia from martyrdom. After surviving Nero's persecution, Ursus would follow Lygia and Marcus Vinicius in their new life in Sicily.

In Barrett's adaptation (The Sign of the Cross), the character of Ursus is absent and Mercia (Lygia) and Marcus sacrifice their lives in the arena to the lions.

In another cinematic adaptation (Nero, 1922), Ursus is renamed Hercules.

Ursus was such a popular character that took a life of his own. With "Maciste," he was the "strong man" in Italian "peplum" movies (often introduced as "son of Hercules" in dubbed versions). In the 1910s and 1920s, and again in the 1950s and 1960s, several movies were produced to exploit his fame.