Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). The love between Licinius (Annibale Durelli) and Constance (Maria Jacobini).
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). Licinius (Annibale Durelli) and Constance (Maria Jacobini) become Christians, receiving the blessing from bishop Maternus (Mario Mariani). In the back, Fausta (Adriana Costamagna) mockingly laughs at them. In the film, she is not visible in this scene, only the other three.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). Fausta (Adriana Costamagna) is at the orgy at Maximian's palace in Milan.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). Fausta (Adriana Costamagna) tries to seduce Constance (Maria Jacobini) to join her in an orgy at Maximian's, so that Maximian may possess her.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). Constance (Maria Jacobini) prays, instead of being drawn into a Roman orgy.
In this sign, you will conquer
In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913) is situated in Milan during the early 4th century. The Roman Empire was ruled by four tetrarchs. The local governor Licinius / Licinio (Annibale Durelli) rejects the advances of Fausta (Adriana Costamagna), wife of Emperor Constantine / Costantino (Arturo Garzes). Licinius is a faithful follower of Constantine, and moreover, in love with Constance / Costanza, the half-sister of Constantine (Maria Jacobini).
Both Licinius and Constance became Christians. Fausta's father, Maximian / Massimiano (Dillo Lombardi), enters Milan and desires to possess Constance. Fausta helps him by attracting Constance to a wild orgy at Maximian's palace, but the young woman abhors this. She retires in prayer and finally has herself baptised. Maximian explodes, tears the edict permitting the Christians religious freedom, and has three of his soldiers killed when they prove to be Christians. Their bodies are drawn through the streets, which Constance, shocked, witnesses from her balcony.
Constance is also forced to witness the terrible killings of Christian martyrs in the arena, after a spectacle of gladiators and chariot races. When a soldier openly tells that he is a Christian, he is killed on the spot. At night, bishop Maternus / Materno (Mario Marani) and other Christians bury the bodies. Meanwhile, Constance flees to her brother Constantine, pursued by Maximian and Fausta.
Constantine explodes when he hears about Maximian's beastly behaviour. Fausta manages to seduce a centurion, Helvus Brutus / Elvo Bruto (Indo Garrone), to assassinate Constantine, but Constance has overheard the plot and the emperor is substituted by a dummy. When, before the whole army, Maximian cries that Constantine is dead, Constantine himself makes clear he is alive, and the culprit is killed.
Fausta hasn't given up and goes to her brother, Maxentius / Massenzio (Francesco Bonino), to set him up against Constantine. Constantine's army crosses the Alps, and he gets a vision of a Cross, the symbol of Christianity. Jesus appears to him and gives him a new standard, with a cross instead of an eagle, telling him: 'In hoc signo vinces (In This Sign You will Conquer). Helvus Brutus tries a second attack on Constantine but is caught and decapitated. His head is sent to Fausta, who realises her machinations are over.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). Constance (Maria Jacobini) is baptised as a Christian.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). The bodies of dead gladiators are taken away. Mark the arch above. The scene reminds one of Juan Luna's painting 'Spoliarium' and Jean-Léon Gérôme's painting 'Ave Caesar', in which dead gladiators are dragged away.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). On this card, the persecutions of the Christians in the arena are shown, as well as the decapitation of a Christian soldier.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). Constance (Maria Jacobini) arrives in Constantine's camp after having fled from Maximian's clutches.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). Constance (Maria Jacobini) overhears the conspirators and warns her brother.
The era of catacombs and secrecy is over
Maxentius leads his army against that of Constantine. For a while, the war has been undecided. Yet, when a fire breaks out in Maxentius' camp, his army retreats on an improvised bridge, which collapses under the weight of the soldiers, and Maxentius and many others drown.
The rest of his troops retreat to the Ponte Milvio, but this is already occupied by Constantine's troops, who 'finish the job'. Constantine's victory put an end to the persecution of the Christians. In 313 A.D., which was extensively commemorated in 1913, the year the film came out, the Edict of Milan was signed by Constantine and Licinius, granting complete freedom to Christianity. The era of catacombs and secrecy is over.
In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913) was scripted by Giovanni Alessio based on a text by E.S.F. Darga. The Early German Database credits Alessio as the scenographer and Darga as the scriptwriter, who based himself on a text by C. Darlington. However, the cinematographer was Augusto Navone.
Eye Filmmuseum in Amsterdam only possesses the first three - beautifully tinted - reels of In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor. The second part of the film is considered lost. Ivo Blom followed the content description of the Dutch programme, published by Jean Desmet, and the photos in the programme and the stills in this post. He concluded that the first part of the film also lacks several scenes, such as those in the arena, the orgy and Constance's prayer.
The last still of the series in this post may represent a moment earlier in the film, when Constance arrives at her brother's court begging him to help her and Constantine and his mother show charity to the poor, but there is no real card symbolising the epilogue of the plot. So we used a picture from the programme. Needless to say, Constance and Licinius lived happily ever after. Yet, the historical Constantine would later get into a big conflict with the real Licinius.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). Constance (Maria Jacobini) and Constantine (Arturo Garzes) overhear the conspirators who plot to murder Constantine.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). Constantine (Arturo Garzes) shows he isn't dead at all, despite what Maximian claims.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). Licinius (Annibale Durelli) greets Constance (Maria Jacobini) farewell before going to war.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). Constantine's army crosses the Alps. As Savoia Film was a Turinese production company, the real Alps were not far away.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). The attempt on the life of Constantine (Arturo Garzes) by the traitor Helvus (Elvus) Brutus (Indo Garrone).
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). Probably Constantine's cavalry is hunting Maxentius' army through the Tiber.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). A fight between the armies of Maxentius and Constantine.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). The battle on the improvised bridge, where Maxentius and many of his army will drown when the bridge collapses - a spectacular scene lauded in the press at the time.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). The film culminates in the famous Battle at the Milvio Bridge (312 a.D.). On this card, Maxentius' army flees.
Italian still by Savoia Film / Agence Cinema Eclair. Scene from In hoc signo vinces / The Triumph of an Emperor (Nino Oxilio, 1913). Charity at the court of Constantine (Arturo Garzes). He is flanked by his sister Constance (Maria Jacobini) and his mother Helena (Jeanne Bay). This still probably represents a moment earlier in the film.
Illustration from a vintage Dutch programme booklet for In hoc signo vinces (Nino Oxilia, 1913). Constantine's vision. Constantine is played by Arturo Garzes.
Cover of Dutch programme booklet for In hoc signo vinces (Nino Oxilia, Savoia 1913). Distributed by Jean Desmet. Printed by T.A.D. Visscher heirs, Amsterdam.
Sources: Aldo Bernardini / Vittorio Martinelli (Il cinema muto italiano, 1913, Vol. 1), the Dutch-written programme booklet for the film release in the Netherlands, Wikimedia, Early German Database and IMDb.
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