The mirror of Diana, is associated with a sordid tradition. In the woods near Rome, there was a temple where human sacrifices were carried out. The guardian of the premises was simultaneously king, priest and murderer. Armed with the famous golden bough, taken from the sacred tree, a slave on the run could kill him and take his place. Lo Specchio di Diana show us the draining of the lake to recover two galleys belonging to the emperor Calígula, used for his orgiastic festivities. The tour de force of lo specchio di diana lies in the pertinent juxtaposition of three elements: a myth, political opportunism and expansionism ambitions. The relaunching of Caligula's galleys enables fascism to find a historical base which turns out to foreshadow the most disastrous implications of the regime: a mad and bloody imperialism which the film-makers seem to suggest is inherent in mankind.