▁source ▁of ▁his ▁mighty ▁powers ▁was ▁never ▁revealed , ▁nor ▁was ▁he ▁conf ined ▁to ▁one ▁specific ▁time ▁period ▁or ▁setting ▁in ▁his ▁advent ures . ▁However , ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁Mac iste ▁films , ▁he ▁mentions ▁to ▁another ▁character ▁that ▁the ▁name ▁" Mac iste " ▁means ▁" born ▁of ▁the ▁rock " ▁( al most ▁as ▁if ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁god ▁who ▁would ▁just ▁appear ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁earth ▁in ▁times ▁of ▁need ). ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁silent ▁Mac iste ▁films ▁was ▁actually ▁entitled ▁" The ▁Gi ant ▁from ▁the ▁Dol om ite " ▁( another ▁reference ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁born ▁as ▁an ▁ordinary ▁mort al ▁man ▁would ▁have ▁been ). ▁Hence ▁it ▁is ▁hint ed ▁that ▁Mac iste ▁is ▁more ▁god ▁than ▁man , ▁which ▁would ▁explain ▁his ▁great ▁strength . ▁ ▁This ▁sword ▁and ▁sand al ▁f ad ▁continued ▁for ▁about ▁six ▁years , ▁until ▁the ▁new ▁f ad ▁for ▁sp agh etti ▁Western s ▁and ▁sp y ▁films ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁the ▁Italian ▁cinema ▁industry . ▁The ▁name ▁Mac iste ▁was ▁not ▁in ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁versions ▁of ▁most ▁of ▁these ▁films : ▁when ▁the ▁films ▁were ▁imported ▁into ▁the ▁USA ▁and ▁dub bed ▁in ▁English , ▁the ▁hero ' s ▁name ▁was ▁often ▁changed ▁to ▁Her cules , ▁Sam son , ▁G oli ath , ▁Atlas , ▁U ly ss es ▁or ▁Col oss us , ▁because ▁the