The devious general Cethegus plays the Byzantine and Gothic forces against each other for his own gain.
Orson Welles
as Justinian
Laurence Harvey
as Cethegus
Sylva Koscina
as Theodora
Harriet Andersson
as Mathawsintha
Michael Dunn
as Narses
Ingrid Boulting
as Julia (as Ingrid Brett)
Dieter Eppler
as Thorsmund
Lang Jeffries
as Belisar
Robert Hoffmann
as Totila
Ewa Strömberg
as Rauthgundis
Mircea Anghelescu
as Aligern
Ion Dichiseanu
as Furius
