Asterix and the Laurel Wreath
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| Asterix and the Laurel Wreath | |
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| French Title: | Les Lauriers de Cesar |
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| Story: | Rene Goscinny |
| Illustrations: | Albert Uderzo |
| French Edition: | 1972 |
| English Translation: | 1974 |
| Preceded by: | The Mansions of the Gods |
| Followed by: | Asterix and the Soothsayer |
Asterix and the Laurel Wreath is the eighteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 621-642 in 1971.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
The story begins at Rome, where Asterix and Obelix are talking. Asterix is angry and frustrated and vents his annoyance on Obelix.
To explain why they are in Rome, the story flashes back to Lutetia. Vitalstatistix (who, with Asterix and Obelix, is carrying Impedimenta's shopping) and Impedimenta are visiting her brother Homeopathix. Vitalstatistix dislikes Homeopathix, a rich, crass businessman who immediately shows off his wealth, angering Vitalstatistix even more. At dinner, Vitalstatistix quickly gets drunk and offers Homeopathix something money can't possibly buy: a stew seasoned with Caesar's laurel wreath. An equally drunk Obelix declares that Vitalstatistix is "ferpectly right" and volunteers himself and Asterix to fetch the wreath.
The story goes back to Rome. Asterix and Obelix see a man coming out of Caesar's palace. Asking him about his purpose in the palace (he is a slave), they decide to offer themselves as slaves and go to the slave trader Typhus, who has only the best slaves to offer and who also supplies Caesar's palace.
Instead, they end up being bought by Osseus Humerus, an official in Caesar's palace, and placed under the supervision of Goldendelicius, the chief slave of his household. Goldendelicius soon expresses his intense dislike of the two Gauls because they come from Typhus and he doesn't.
Disappointed that they have not made it into the palace, Asterix and Obelix make several disruptive attempts to have Humerus give them back to Typhus; they cook a very volatile stew (which accidentally cures Humerus' son Metatarsus of his constant hangover) and disturb the sleeping family by making a lot of noise (which only inspires them to throw a wild party).
The next day, a sobering Humerus tells them to go to Caesar's palace to take his place at an important engagement. Goldendelicius is sent to arrange this, but instead he tells the guards that Asterix and Obelix were planning to kill Caesar; as a result, Asterix and Obelix are thrown in the palace prison upon arrival. Under this advantageous situation, they break out during the night and comb the palace in search for the laurel wreath but to no avail. Frustrated and tired, they return to their cell, much to the confusion of the palace guards.
The next morning a lawyer comes to defend Asterix and Obelix, who are to be tried at court. In the hope of catching Caesar in the circus (to which they will be sent in the case of conviction), in a moving speech Asterix pleads guilty.
However, as they are about to enter the arena, Asterix and Obelix learn that Caesar is actually not present, having gone off to fight pirates. Stubbornly, the Gauls refuse to go into the arena until he returns, which results in the big cats in the arena eating each other, a mass riot of the audience, and everyone (including Asterix and Obelix and the last remaining lion) getting evicted from the circus.
That night, Asterix and Obelix sleep inside a doorway, where they are spotted by a group of brigands. The latters' attempt to rob the two Gauls results in a thrashing for the bandits. Impressed, their chief offers Asterix and Obelix a place to stay in return for their participation in their raids. The next night, the gang runs into a drunk who turns out to be Metatarsus. Refusing to rob a friend, Asterix and Obelix trash the bandits again.
From Metatarsus the two Gauls learn that he had just been celebrating with Goldendelicius in a nearby tavern for Goldendelicius' promotion as Caesar's personal slave, and that Caesar is about to make a triumph the very next day for his victory over the pirates. Asterix and Obelix corner Goldendelicius in the tavern (where he has fallen into a drunken sleep) and coerce him to exchange Caesar's laurel wreath for one made of parsley. The next morning, just before the triumph, Asterix and Goldendelicius secretly switch wreaths. Caesar does not notice the switch, except that he suddenly craves fish in parsley sauce for dinner...
During the obligatory final feast, Vitalstatistix asks Homeopathix if he likes the taste of Caesar's laurel wreath; Homeopathix' complaints about the stew, however, cause Vitalstatistix to punch him sky-high in a fit of rage. As a result, the banquet ends without the unpopular guest.
[edit] Named Characters
- Asterix
- Obelix
- Vitalstatistix
- Impedimenta - Vitalstatistix' wife
- Homeopathix - Impedimenta's brother
- Tapioca - Homeopathix' wife
- Kumakros - One of Caesar's slaves
- Typhus - Owner of The House Of Typhus
- Osseus Humerus
- Fibula - Osseus Humerus' wife
- Tibia - Osseus Humerus' daughter
- Metatarsus - Osseus Humerus' son
- Goldendelicius - Osseus Humerus' slave, now Caesar's slave
- Titus Nisiprius - lawyer
- Habeascorpus - Chief of a group of thieves
- Julius Caesar
[edit] Notes
- This is by far the most adult-oriented of all the Asterix stories. It includes drunkenness, human slavery, debauchery, particular graphic violence, nudity, androgyny, as well as instances of humour requiring a (for Asterix) unusually sophisticated knowledge of art and history to fully get. There is an implicit acknowledgement of this in that Dogmatix (a favourite with younger readers) makes only a token (2 panel) appearance, and the lettering of this album uses a style which is more cursive and difficult to read than usual, again discouraging younger readers.
[edit] Trivia
- The Circus Maximus jailer makes a cameo appearance in The Twelve Tasks of Asterix.
- The trainer standing next to the lion on page 40 is a caricature of Jean Richard, a French actor who ran a zoo and a circus outside Paris.
[edit] In other languages
- Italian: Asterix e gli allori di Cesare
- Portuguese: Os louros de César
- Polish: Laury Cezara
[edit] References
- The complete guide to Asterix by Peter Kessler ISBN 0-340-65346-9
