Synopsis

The story of the abduction of a young girl, Cabiria, by pirates during the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage and her rescue by a slave friend, Maciste. Rl.1. In the eruption of Mt. Etna, Batto is hurt and his house ransacked. His daughter Cabiria and her nurse Croessa are captured by Phoenician pirates and sold in the slave market at Carthage to Karthalo, high priest of the temple of Moloch, for sacrifice. She escapes and meets Fulvio and Maciste and asks him to help her and gives himm her ring (1427). R l.2. At the temple of Moloch, 100 children are being sacrificed to the god. Maciste, Croessa and Fulvio creep in. Maciste seizes Cabiria and he and Fulvio retreat to the top of the temple. They take Cabiria to Bodastoret, the inn-keeper, and he sends the pursuers away. Croessa is punished for her part in the rescue. Hannibal and his men cross the Alps and threaten Rome. Sophonisba, daughter of Hasdrubal is promised to Massinissa, King of Numidia. Massinissa sends Sophonisba a present and asks her to meet him in the garden in the moonlight. Bodastoret tells Karthalo of Fulvio and Maciste's hiding. Sophonisba prepares to meet Massinissa (1394). Rl.3. Maciste, Fulvio and Cabiria escape to the temple but are pursued. Fulvio dives into the sea to escape pursuers. Maciste and Cabiria seek refuge in a garden and come upon Sophonisba and Massinissa. Maciste pleads with Sophonisba to help Cabiria. Sophonisba takes the child. Maciste is chained to a grindstone. Fulvio returns to Rome to fight. Archimedes develops his sun machine which destroys the Roman fleet. Fulvio swims away from the burning ships. He is rescued by three men who, seeing Croessa's ring upon his finger, take him to Batto's (Cabiria's father) house. Fulvio promises to search for Cabiria and leaves. The unhappy Sophonisba is given to Sifax, the conqueror of Massinissa by Hasdrubal in return for an alliance against Rome. Scipio, the conqueror of Spain, and Lelio, the Numidian, send Fulvio to Carthage to spy out the defences (1705). Rl.4. Inside Carthage, Fulvio goes to Bodastoret's inn to find the whereabouts of Maciste and Cabiria. He rescues Maciste from the grindstone. Maciste does not know where Cabiria is. They leave Carthage. Karthalo is sent by Hasdrubal to Cirta to see Sirax to persuade him to attack the Romans. Lelio sets fire to Sifax's camp. Maciste and Fulvio are lost but seeing the flames make for them. They are captured by fugitives from Cirta and taken back to Cirta. Massinissa captures Sirfax. Elissa, Sophonisba's maid, gives Fulvio and Maciste water (1447). Rl.5. Massinissa besieiges Cirta. Sophonisba has a dream. Karthalo interprets it and insists that the unkown rescued victim (Cabiria) must be returned. Maciste escpes on seeing Karthalo wth Elissa whom is is taking to his house, and follows them. From Karthalo, Maciste learns that the slave Elissa is the little Cabiria. Maciste and Cabiria escape from the house and are joined by Fulvio. Fulvio and Maciste hide in the food stores but Cabiria is captured. Cirta surrenders at the sight of Sifax in chains. Massinissa and Sophonisba meet again and he dedicates his sword to her. He obtains mercy for Fulvio and Maciste from Sophonisba. Fulvio implores for mercy for Cabiria but Sophonisba tells him she is dead (1317). Rl.6. Scipio learns from Lelio that Sophonisba is trying to make Massinissa break his allegiance with Rome. Scipio meets Massinissa and demands Sophonisba as part of his booty. Massinissa sends poison to Sophonisba by Maciste. She pours it into a cup and drinks. Fulvio arrives but she is dying. She gives him Cabiria who is not dead. Sophonisba then dies (1165). (8455ft) Note: Archive also holds a BFI 360 print of the restored version, with Italian intertitles. (Shotlist)