History Recap / AsterixAndTheLaurelWreath

An unwilling Asterix and Obelix have accompanied an even more unwilling Vitalstatistix on a visit to Lutetia with his wife, Impedimenta, to see her wealthy and uppity brother, Homeopathix, who has always looked down on Vitalstatistix. Over the course of the evening, Vitalstatistix gets very drunk and, tiring of Homeopathix' snobbery, [[LiquidCourage bets him that he can cook him something he's never eaten before]] - a stew flavoured with [[Creator/GaiusJuliusCaesar Julius Caesar's]] laurel wreath. The equally drunk Obelix declares that he and Asterix will go to Rome on the chief's behalf to get the wreath, and Homeopathix decides to take him up on his boast.

Flash back to the present; Asterix points out to Obelix that their usual tactic of marching in and beating up every Roman they see will not work with the crack troops guarding Caesar's palace. They notice a man leaving the palace; plying him with drink, they learn he is a slave, purchased from Typhus, Caesar's personal supplier. They decide to offer themselves as merchandise to Typhus, but when the other slaves on Typhus' stand dismiss them as cut rate junk, a fight breaks out, with Asterix and Obelix triumphant. An amused patrician offers to buy the two Gauls, who assume he is Caesar's major-domo (whom Typhus has been expecting at any minute) and that they are finally on their way to Caesar's palace.

However, the patrician, Osseus Humerus, has actually bought the Gauls as slaves for his own household, which includes his wife Fibula, his daughter Tibia, and his alcoholic son Gracchus Metatarsus; they quickly earn the enmity of Humerus' own major-domo, Goldendelicius, who is determined not to let these fragile Typhus trinkets replace him. Asterix and Obelix, however, are more interested in getting Humerus to return them to Typhus to be bought by Caesar, and try everything they can to get the sack. They throw everything in the kitchen into a disgusting stew, but this only succeeds in curing Metatarsus' hangover. They march through the house in the middle of the night banging pots and pans, but they only inspire the family to have a loud, drunken party.

Fortunately for the Gauls, Humerus has business at Caesar's palace the next day; as he is too hung over from the previous night's party to go himself, he sends the delighted Gauls in his place. However, Goldendelicius, ever more paranoid about being replaced as major-domo by Typhus' museum pieces, has gone ahead of them and reported them as assassins plotting to murder Caesar, and they are arrested and imprisoned. Still, they're in the palace at last, and that night, they search the palace in secret, knocking out every guard they pass as quietly as possible. The search turns up empty, and Asterix vows to continue the next night.

However, on the day their sentence is to be carried out, the jailer reveals that Caesar is away fighting the pirates, and Asterix and Obelix refuse to go into the arena. The animals end up devouring each other, and the enraged crowd starts a riot, during which the Gauls escape.

Back in the village, Homeopathix is finally sitting down to the stew flavoured with Caesar's laurels as Vitalstatistix enjoys his victory. However, the unimpressed Homeopathix begins criticising the cut of meat used in the stew, and the chief's anger finally boils over as he punches his brother-in-law sky high. The dazed Homeopathix lands in front of the bound Cacofonix, who wonders if Homeopathix was also punished for trying to sing, while the concluding narration notes that the Gauls' hangover cure led to a surge in drinking among the Romans, and ended up causing the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.

* AlcoholInducedIdiocy[=/=]LiquidCourage: The whole plot starts because a drunk Vitalstatix offers his brother-in-law a stew flavoured with Julius Caesar's laurel wreath. And a possibly drunker Obelix gets enthusted with this.

* AlcoholInducedIdiocy \ LiquidCourage: The whole plot starts because a drunk Vitalstatix offers his brother-in-law a stew flavoured with Julius Caesar's laurel wreath. And a possibly drunker Obelix gets enthusted with this.

* FedToTheBeast: Asterix and Obelix get themselves sentenced to be thrown to the lions in the hope of getting Caesar's laurel wreath directly from the great man's head. Obelix has an attack of stage fright the night before their "appearance", and asks the jailer if he can have some of the oil the gladiators wear to smarten himself up a bit. The jailer suggests mustard might be more appropriate.
** They back out once they learn Caesar isn't in the Circus, beat down the guards that try to force them... and learn the beasts have fed on ''themselves'', with only one lion standing. The crowd then [[PowderKegCrowd riots]].

An unwilling Asterix and Obelix have accompanied an even more unwilling Vitalstatistix on a visit to Lutetia with his wife, Impedimenta, to see her wealthy and uppity brother, Homeopathix, who has always looked down on Vitalstatistix. Over the course of the evening, Vitalstatistix gets very drunk and, tiring of Homeopathix' snobbery, bets him that he can cook him something he's never eaten before - a stew flavoured with Julius Caesar's laurel wreath. The equally drunk Obelix declares that he and Asterix will go to Rome on the chief's behalf to get the wreath, and Homeopathix decides to take him up on his boast.

An unwilling Asterix and Obelix have accompanied an even more unwilling Vitalstatistix on a visit to Lutetia with his wife, Impedimenta, to see her wealthy and uppity brother, Homeopathix, who has always looked down on Vitalstatistix. Over the course of the evening, Vitalstatistix gets very drunk and, tiring of Homeopathix' snobbery, bets him that he can cook him something he's never eaten before - a stew flavoured with Julius Caesar's laurel wreath. The equally drunk Obelix declares that he and Asterix will go to Rome on the chief's behalf to get the wreath, and Vitalstatistix angrily rebuffs Asterix' attempt to talk his way out of the quest.

An unwilling Asterix and Obelix have accompanied an even more unwilling Vitalstatistix on a visit to Lutetia with his wife, Impedimenta, to see her wealthy and uppity brother, Homeopathix, who has always looked down on Vitalstatistix. Over the course of the evening, Vitalstatistix gets very drunk and, tiring of Homeopathix' snobbery, bets him that he can cook him a stew flavoured with Julius Caesar's laurel wreath. The equally drunk Obelix declares that he and Asterix will go to Rome on the chief's behalf to get the wreath, and Vitalstatistix angrily rebuffs Asterix' attempt to talk his way out of the quest.

-->'''Homeopathix''': But my dear chap, where am I going to put all these menhirs of yours? \\

** {{Spoonerism}}: In the original French, the drunken Obelix and Vitalstatistix make the verbal slip of saying "Farpaitement" ("Ferpectly") instead of "Parfaitement" ("Perfectly") during the dinner with Homeopathix; the word recurs throughout the rest of the book when either Obelix is drunk or Asterix is feeling especially bitter. In English, the word is translated as one of two internal spoonerisms, depending on context: "Zigackly" (for "Exactly") and "Ferpectly true" (for "Perfectly true").

* ForeignQueasine: Continuing the series' tendency to mock British cooking, Humerus says the Gauls' cooking could hardly be any worse than that of their previous cook, the Briton Autodidax. Of course, when Asterix and Obelix simply throw everything in the entire kitchen into a single cauldron (including ''soap''), they decide that perhaps Gaulish cooking isn't what its reputation usually suggests...

** In the original French, the drunken Obelix and Vitalstatistix make the verbal slip of saying "Farpaitement" instead of "Parfaitement" ("Perfectly") during the dinner with Homeopathix; the word recurs throughout the rest of the book when either Obelix is drunk or Asterix is feeling especially bitter. In English, the word is translated as one of two internal spoonerisms, depending on context: "Zigackly" (for "Exactly") and "Ferpectly true" (for "Perfectly true").

-->'''Homeopathix''': Come on, Vitalstatistix, What do you want me to ''do'' with those menhirs?\\
'''Vitalstatistix''' (with an evil grin): Would you like me to tell you?\\

Sleeping rough on the streets of Rome, they are nearly attacked by a group of thieves; impressed by Obelix' strength in rebuffing their attempted theft, they decide to recruit the two Gauls into their gang, and the next night they are ordered to rob a young drunk. The drunk turns out to be Humerus' son Metatarsus, who is ecstatic to see them again. After thrashing the bandits to save Metatarsus from harm, Asterix and Obelix learn that he has been celebrating with Goldendelicius, who will be holding Caesar's laurel wreath over his head during his triumphal procession after his victory over the pirates. Metatarsus directs the Gauls to Goldendelicius in exchange for the recipe for their accidental hangover cure.

The two Gauls corner the still drunk Goldendelicius and force him to give them the laurel wreath in exchange for a parsley wreath. No-one notices the difference during the triumph... except perhaps for Caesar himself, who feels strangely like a piece of fish.

* {{Woolseyism}}: In one noteworthy example, the British slave who suggests a price of ten sestertii for Humerus' purchase of Asterix and Obelix simply says "And I won't go any lower!" in the original French. In English, this was changed to "Britons never, never, never shall be cut-price slaves!", a reference to James Thomson's patriotic poem "Rule, Britannia!" (more famous in its musical setting by Thomas Arne).

However, the next day, the scene of disarray prompts the panicked Romans to schedule their trial for that very day, and the lawyer Nisiprius arrives to defend Asterix and Obelix. He notes their conviction is assured, and Asterix is intrigued to learn that this will mean being thrown to the lions in front of Caesar himself. As the trial's verdict is already known, Nisiprius plans to use it as a chance to show off his oratory skills, but when the prosecutor begins to give the same speech, Nisiprius tries to have the trial postponed. The impatient Asterix interrupts and makes an impassioned plea to the court that their crimes - wrecking Typhus' stand, getting into Humerus' house under false pretences to get closer to Caesar to assassinate him - cannot be overlooked, and the emotionally overwhelmed court sentences them to be thrown to the lions.

Fortunately for the Gauls, Humerus has business at Caesar's palace the next day; as he is too hung over from the previous night's party to go himself, he sends the delighted Gauls in his place. However, Goldendelicius, ever more paranoid about being replaced as major-domo by Typhus' museum pieces, has gone ahead of them and reported them as assassins, and they are arrested and imprisoned. Still, they're in the palace at last, and that night, they search the palace in secret, but the laurel wreath is nowhere to be found. Asterix decides they will have to get the wreath directly from Caesar's head.

The next day, a lawyer arrives to defend them, though he notes their conviction is assured, and Asterix is intrigued to learn that this will mean being thrown to the lions in front of Caesar himself. As the trial's verdict is already known, the lawyer plans to use it as a chance to show off his oratory skills, but when the prosecutor begins to give the same speech, the Gauls' lawyer tries to have the trial postponed. The impatient Asterix interrupts and makes an impassioned plea to the court that their crimes - wrecking Typhus' stand, getting into Humerus' house under false pretences - cannot be overlooked, and the emotionally overwhelmed court sentences them to be thrown to the lions.

Fortunately for the Gauls, Humerus has business at Caesar's palace the next day; as he is too hung over from the previous night's party to go himself, he sends the delighted Gauls in his place. However, Goldendelicius has gone ahead of them and reported them as assassins, and they are arrested and imprisoned. Still, they're in the palace at last, and that night, they search the palace in secret, but the laurel wreath is nowhere to be found. Asterix decides they will have to get the wreath directly from Caesar's head.

** The animal keeper in the arena who has had to watch the animals eat each other as Asterix and Obelix refuse to go into the arena is a caricature of French actor and circus owner Jean Richard (whose other claims to fame include a 23-year stint on French television as [[GeorgeSimenon Jules Maigret]]).

An unwilling Asterix and Obelix have accompanied an even more unwilling Vitalstatistix on a visit to Lutetia with his wife, Impedimenta, to see her wealthy and uppity brother, Homeopathix, who has always looked down on Vitalstatistix. Over the course of the evening, Vitalstatistix gets very drunk and, tiring of Homeopathix' snobbery, bets him that he can cook him a stew flavoured with Julius Caesar's laurel wreath. As they head back into the streets of Lutetia, the equally drunk Obelix declares that he and Asterix will go to Rome on the chief's behalf to get Caesar's laurel wreath.

Flash back to the present; Asterix points out to Obelix that their usual tactic of marching in and beating up every Roman they see will not work with the crack troops guarding Caesar's palace. They notice a man leaving the palace; plying him with drink, they learn he is a slave, purchased from Typhus, Caesar's personal supplier. They decide to offer themselves as merchandise to Typhus, but when the other slaves on Typhus' stand dismiss them as cut rate junk, a fight breaks out, with Asterix and Obelix triumphant. An amused patrician offers to buy the two Gauls, who assume they are finally on their way to Caesar's palace.

However, the patrician, Osseus Humerus, has actually bought the Gauls as slaves for his own household, which includes his wife Fibula, his daughter Tibia, and his alcoholic son Gracchus Metatarsus; they quickly earn the enmity of Humerus' head slave, Goldendelicius, who is determined not to let these delicate Typhus slaves replace him. Asterix and Obelix, however, are more interested in getting Humerus to return them to Typhus to be bought by Caesar, and try everything they can to get the sack. They throw everything in the kitchen into a disgusting stew, but this only succeeds in curing Metatarsus' hangover. They march through the house in the middle of the night banging pots and pans, but they only inspire the family to have a loud, drunken party.

Fortunately for the Gauls, Humerus has business at Caesar's palace the next day; as he is too hung over to go himself, he sends the delighted Gauls in his place. However, Goldendelicius has gone ahead of them and reported them as assassins, and they are arrested and imprisoned. Still, they're in the palace at last, and the following night, they search the palace in secret, but the laurel wreath is nowhere to be found. Asterix decides they will have to get the wreath directly from Caesar's head.

The next day, a lawyer arrives to defend them, though he notes their conviction is assured, and Asterix is intrigued to learn that this will mean being thrown to the lions in front of Caesar himself. As the trial's verdict is already known, the lawyer plans to use it as a chance to show off his oratory skills, but when the prosecutor begins to give the same speech, the Gauls' lawyer tries to have the trial postponed. The impatient Asterix interrupts and insists that their crimes cannot be overlooked, and the emotionally overwhelmed court sentences them to be thrown to the lions.

However, on the day their sentence is to be carried out, it turns out that Caesar is away fighting the pirates, and Asterix and Obelix refuse to go into the arena. The animals end up devouring each other, and the enraged crowd starts a riot, during which the Gauls escape.

Sleeping rough on the streets of Rome, they are nearly attacked by a group of thieves; impressed by Obelix' strength in rebuffing their attempted theft, they decide to recruit the two Gauls into their gang, and the next night they are ordered to rob a young drunk. The drunk turns out to be Humerus' son Metatarsus, and after thrashing the bandits to save Metatarsus from harm, Asterix and Obelix learn that he has been celebrating with Goldendelicius, who will be holding Caesar's laurel wreath over his head during his triumphal procession after his victory over the pirates. Metatarsus directs the Gauls to Goldendelicius in exchange for the recipe for their accidental hangover cure.

* CharacterFocus: Even by the usual standards of the "Asterix and Obelix go on a journey" albums, this album keeps the main duo front and centre from start to finish. The only other series regular to even get a look in outside the final ''panel'' is Vitalstatistix, who only appears in the Lutetia flashback and the final banquet. Even Dogmatix is absent.

* ShoutOut: The vain, muscular Greek slave on Typhus' stand whom Asterix eventually punches out adopts the poses of a variety of classical statues, including Rodin's ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thinker The Thinker]]'', the ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollon_of_Olympia Apollon]]'' of Olympia, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laoco%C3%B6n_and_His_Sons Laocoon and His Sons]]'' (in the course of imitating which he entangles Asterix in a rope), and the ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discobolus Diskobolus]]'' of Myron.

* CharacterFocus: Apart from Vitalstatistix and Impedimenta's appearance in the Lutetia flashback and the obligatory banquet in the final panel, the only Gauls to appear in this album are Asterix and Obelix. Even Dogmatix is completely absent.

* ThemeNaming: In the English version, Humerus and his wife and children are all named for bones in the human skeleton; even Humerus' first name, Osseus, is a pun on "osseous", meaning "turned into bone".

* InMediaRes: The story starts with our heroes already in Rome before explaining [[HowWeGotHere how they got there]]; the panels actually "stop and rewind" to tell us how the story really began.

* ThemeNaming: Humerus and his wife and children are all named for bones in the human skeleton; even Humerus' first name, Osseus, is a pun on "osseous", meaning "turned into bone".

* ThemeNaming: Humerus and his wife and children are all named for bones in the human skeleton; even Humerus' first name, Osseus, is a pun on "osseous", meaning "relating to bone".

Fed up with his brother-in-law's Homeopathix's bragging, Vitalstatistix declares that he can serve the laurel wreath JuliusCaesar wears in a stew. Now Asterix and Obelix must infiltrate Roman high-society to get close enough to Caesar and take it.

* ObnoxiousInLaws: Homeopathix, the wealthier brother of Impedimenta, barely even makes the effort to remember Vitalstatistix' name. In the final banquet, when Vitalstatistix makes good on his promise to cook a stew with Caesar's laurels, Homeopathix, far from being impressed, criticises the meat for not being a choice cut or well cooked, causing the enraged Vitalstatistix to knock him flying with an uppercut.

* SpringtimeForHitler: After becoming slaves, Asterix and Obelix find out that the Roman family that bought them aren't close to Caesar, and do everything they can to be abandoned, only for their antics to please the family instead.

Fed up with his brother-in-law's Homeopathix's bragging, Vitalstatistix declares that he can serve the laurel wreath JuliusCaesar wears in a stew. Now Asterix and Obelix much infiltrate Roman high-society to get close enough to Caesar and take it.

* InMediaRes: The story starts with our heroes already in Rome before explaining how they got there.

* ObnoxiousInLaws: Homeopathix, the wealthier brother of Impedimeta.