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A particular kind of Period Piece set in ancient biblical or mythological times, running the gamut from Heroic Fantasy to Historical Fiction; movies set in the Roman empire usually included. Alternatively, it may be used to describe Fantasy Counterpart Culture equivalents in a secondary world. The subgenre of low-budget Sword And Sandal Italian films of the 50s and 60s is the Peplum.

A classic Cyclic Trope, as Hollywood has regular periods of fascination with the era, and the trope was named by an early period of such films being popular.

Contrast Sword and Sorcery, on which the name is based (or vice versa). There is often some overlap, especially when mythology gets involved.

Sword And Sandal flicks in the Golden Age of Myth were especially popular in the Golden Age of Hollywood; compare Epic Movie. Expect the landscape to resemble sand dunes and/or rural Spain throughout, making those sandals look more attractive.

For more information, see The Time Of Legends, Ancient Grome.

Mythology

Films

Clash of the Titans
Conan the Barbarian
Hercules - The Steve Reeves version is the first one called a "sword and sandal".
Jason and the Argonauts
My Son The Hero
Troy
Immortals

Live-Action TV

L'Odissea ("The Odyssey") - The Italian-German-Yugoslav co-production starring Bekim Fehmiu, Irene Papas and a young Barbara Bach.
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Xena: Warrior Princess
Young Hercules

Video Games

Age Of Mythology
Centurion Defender Of Rome
Circus Maximus - the first (and most likely only) racing game that exclusively utilizes chariots
Gladius
God Of War
Rise Of The Argonauts
Rome: Total War
Shadow Of Rome - basically Metal Gear IN ANCIENT ROME!
Spartan Total Warrior
Titan Quest
Warriors Legends Of Troy

Web Comics

Rumors Of War

Western Animation

Hercules

Biblical Epics:

Films

Theater

Jesus Christ Superstar - a Rock Opera.

Western Animation

The Prince Of Egypt
Joseph King Of Dreams
Veggie Tales (but only in the episodes that reenact Biblical events, and huge liberties are taken)

Other

Stargate, oddly enough, is a remake of Exodus in space with Ancient Astronauts.

Ancient Greece:

Films

300
The 300 Spartans
The Colossus of Rhodes, the first film directed by Sergio Leone.
Alexander
Troy (see above)

Literature

Roman Empire:

Films

Agora
Barabbas
The Big Fisherman
Cabiria (Italy 1914), one of the first major film epics, set during the Second Punic War. Featuring the Breakout Character Maciste, who went on to be the hero of 25 movies between 1915 and 1927, always played by Bartolomeo Pagano, and was revived for a further 28 movies in the 1960s, played by a number of actors.
Caligula
Centurion
Cleopatra
Demetrius And The Gladiators
The Eagle
The Fall of The Roman Empire
Gladiator
Julius Caesar
The Last Legion
The Robe
Spartacus (technically, it is about Republican Rome, but still...) - Subverts just about all of the standard conventions of movies with a Roman setting. The crucifixion scene especially was very controversial.

Literature

Belisarius Series: set roughly at the time when The Roman Empire evolved into the Byzantine empire.
Ben Hur
Codex Alera: Though technically it doesn't take place in the Roman Empire, the setting is essentially built around a displaced Roman legion, and thus closely hews to ancient Rome.
Emperor
Fabiola
Imperium
The Last Days of Pompeii
Marcus Didius Falco- A series of novels centering on a Private Detective during the reign of Vespasian.
Masters Of Rome
Quo Vadis
Roma Sub Rosa- Another Private Detective series, this time set in the late republic.
Ein Kampf um Rom ("A Fight for Rome") by Felix Dahn, about the last years of the Western Roman Empire.