Asterix and the Laurel Wreath
French Title:	Les Lauriers de Cesar
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. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... René Goscinny René Goscinny (b. ... Albert Uderzo Albert Uderzo (born April 25, 1927 in France) is a French comic book artist, and scriptwriter. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... The Mansions of the Gods is the seventeenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). ... Asterix and the Soothsayer is the nineteenth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). ... For other uses, see Asterix (disambiguation). ... This is a list of all 33 Asterix official volumes. ... René Goscinny (August 14, 1926 – November 5, 1977) Polish- French author, editor and humorist, who is best known for the comic strip Astérix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and the comic strip Lucky Luke. // Early life René was born in Paris in 1926, to Stanislaw Simkha Goscinny... Albert Uderzo Albert Uderzo (born April 25, 1927 in France) is a French comic book artist, and scriptwriter. ... Cover for Pilote by Robert Crumb. ...

Plot summary

The story begins at Rome, where Asterix and Obelix are talking. Asterix is angry and frustrated and vents his annoyance on Obelix. Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5...

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. Lutetia (sometimes Lutetia Parisiorum or Lucotecia, in French Lutèce) was a town in pre-Roman and Roman Gaul. ...

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. This is a list of recurring characters in the Asterix comics. ...

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. Butch Cassidy, a famous Western American outlaw An outlaw, a person living the lifestyle of outlawry, meaning literally outside of the law. ...

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... A Roman Triumph was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly honour the military commander (dux) of a notably successful foreign war or campaign and to display the glories of Roman victory. ...

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.

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

For other uses, see Asterix (disambiguation). ... Obelix and his trusty menhir. ... This is a list of recurring characters in the Asterix comics. ... This is a list of recurring characters in the Asterix comics. ... Gaius Julius Caesar [1] (Latin pronunciation ; English pronunciation ; July 12 or July 13, 100 BC or 102 BC–March 15, 44 BC), was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men of classical antiquity. ...

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.

Dogmatix is a fictional character, a tiny dog who belongs to Obelix in the Asterix comics. ...

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.

For other uses, see Circus Maximus (disambiguation). ... The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (Les Douze travaux dAstérix) is an animated featured film released in 1976 starring Asterix, the Gaul. ... Jean Richard (April 18, 1921-December 12, 2001) was a famous French actor. ... This article is about the capital of France. ...

In other languages

• Catalan: Els llorers del Cèsar
• Finnish: Asterix ja Caesarin laakeriseppele (also translated into Helsinki slang under the title Kessen rehukotsa)
• German: Die Lorbeeren des Cäsar
• Italian: Asterix e gli allori di Cesare
• Portuguese: Os louros de César
• Polish: Laury Cezara
• Spanish: Los laureles del César

Helsinki slang or slangi is a local variation of the Finnish language mainly used in the capital Helsinki. ...

References

• The complete guide to Asterix by Peter Kessler ISBN 0-340-65346-9