When soldier Darios (Rory Calhoun) arrives in Rhodes, King Serse (Roberto Camardiel) has commissioned a larger-than-life statue of Apollo meant to protect the harbor. Darios immediately falls for a young maiden, Diala (Léa Massari), who is the daughter of the statue's maker. In aligning himself with Diala, Darios also becomes involved with Peliocles (Georges Marchal) and his rebels, who seek to overthrow the tyrannical king. As the revolt gets underway, so does an earthquake.