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Asterix and the Laurel Wreath

From Alfawiki
Asterix and the Laurel Wreath
Company typeComic book
IndustryComics, Graphic novels
Founded1971
FounderRené Goscinny (story), Albert Uderzo (artwork)
ProductsComic book

Asterix and the Laurel Wreath (, "Caesar's Laurels") represents the eighteenth installment in the Asterix comic series, crafted by René Goscinny (story) and Albert Uderzo (artwork). Initially published serially in Pilote magazine throughout 1971, it was later rendered into English in 1974.

Plot summary

The narrative opens in Rome featuring Asterix and Obelix, then shifts back to Lutetia, where they visit Homeopathix—Impedimenta’s affluent brother. During dinner, Chief Vitalstatistix boasts of procuring a rare delicacy unattainable by wealth: a stew flavored with Caesar’s laurel wreath. An intoxicated Obelix eagerly volunteers to retrieve it.

Disguised as slaves, Asterix and Obelix infiltrate Caesar’s palace in Rome. They are purchased by Osseus Humerus, a patrician mistakenly assumed to be Caesar’s chief steward. Under the supervision of Goldendelicius, Humerus’ head slave who harbors resentment toward them, they strive to return to their village. Their escapades include curing hangovers of Humerus’ son and sowing discord within the household, ultimately leading them toward Caesar’s presence.

When accused of conspiring against Caesar, they endure a theatrical trial culminating in a foregone guilty verdict and death sentence at the Circus Maximus. While awaiting execution, news arrives that Caesar is absent fighting pirates; refusing to enter the arena sparks turmoil that results in their liberation.

After overcoming highwaymen who offer refuge, they discover Goldendelicius has become Caesar’s personal slave. They compel him to exchange Caesar’s laurel wreath for one crafted from parsley. During Caesar’s triumph celebrating his victory over pirates, the substitution remains unnoticed publicly but leaves Caesar privately perplexed.

Upon returning home, Homeopathix arrives eager to savor the stew containing Caesar’s laurels. Vitalstatistix dismisses it as overcooked, sparking a confrontation. The tale concludes by noting that Asterix’s hangover remedy spreads among Romans, leading to excessive revelry that contributes to the empire’s downfall.

Named characters

  • Asterix
  • Obelix
  • Vitalstatistix
  • Impedimenta – spouse of Vitalstatistix
  • Homeopathix – brother of Impedimenta
  • Tapioca – wife of Homeopathix
  • Kumakros – one of Caesar's slaves
  • Typhus – proprietor of The House Of Typhus
  • Osseus Humerus
  • Fibula – spouse of Osseus Humerus
  • Tibia – daughter of Osseus Humerus
  • Metatarsus – son of Osseus Humerus
  • Goldendelicius – slave of Osseus Humerus, later Caesar’s servant
  • Titus Nisiprius – legal counsel
  • Habeascorpus – leader of bandits
  • Julius Caesar

Notes

  • This volume ranks among the most mature-themed Asterix stories, addressing topics such as intoxication, slavery, excesses, graphic violence, and gender fluidity. It demands a refined understanding of art and history for full appreciation. Dogmatix features only briefly, and the original 2004 lettering employed a more cursive style that proved challenging for younger audiences.
  • Within this story, a drunken Obelix coins "zigackly," a playful variation on "exactly." The French original "farpaitement" similarly twists "parfaitement" (perfectly). The English version also introduces "ferpectly right."
  • At Typhus’s establishment, a male slave impersonates renowned sculptures including Rodin's The Thinker, Apollon of Olympia, the Laocoon, and the Discobolus.
  • The concoction used as a hangover cure calls for an unplucked hen, carbolic soap, jam, black peppercorns, salt, kidney, figs, honey, black pudding, pomegranate seeds, egg, and Spanish pepper.
  • During Asterix and Obelix's trial, attorneys plan to invoke the phrase Delenda Carthago, famously used by Cato the Elder to stress Carthage's destruction.
  • The jailer at Circus Maximus makes a cameo appearance in The Twelve Tasks of Asterix, notable as the sole one-time background character to reappear.
  • The lion trainer caricatures Jean Richard—a French actor who managed both a zoo and circus near Paris.
  • Caesar’s campaign against pirates reflects an actual historical episode where he was captured by pirates demanding ransom; after release, he fulfilled his promise by capturing and executing them.
  • In the original French edition and some translations, the Circus Maximus tour guide's dialogue incorporates various dialects and Fraktur script—a pun lost in English versions.
  • This album made an appearance in the Mr. Bean episode titled Goodnight Mr. Bean.

In other languages

  • Arabic: أستريكس وإكليل الغار (Asteriks wa-iklil al-ghar)
  • Catalan: Els llorers de Cèsar
  • Croatian: Cezarove lovorike
  • Czech: Asterix a věnec z vavřínu
  • Danish: Cæsars laurbær
  • Dutch: De lauwerkrans van Caesar
  • Finnish: Asterix ja Caesarin laakeriseppele (also known in Helsinki slang as Kessen rehukotsa)
  • Galician: Os loureiros de César
  • Gaelic: Asterix agus Crùn Cheusair
  • German: Die Lorbeeren des Cäsar
  • Greek: Οι δάφνες του Καίσαρα
  • Hungarian: Caesar babérkoszorúja
  • Irish: Asterix agus Coróin Labhrais Chaesair
  • Italian: Asterix e gli allori di Cesare
  • Latin: Laurea Caesaris
  • Norwegian: Cæsars laurbær
  • Polish: Laury Cezara
  • Portuguese: Os louros de César
  • Serbian: Cezarove lovorike
  • Spanish: Los laureles del César
  • Swedish: Caesar Lagerkrans
  • Turkish: Asteriks ve Sezar'ın Tacı
  • Welsh: Asterix a choron Cesar

References

  • The Complete Guide to Asterix by Peter Kessler

External links

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