Asterix and the Banquet (Le Tour de Gaule d'Astérix)
Cover of the English edition
Date	1965
Main characters	Asterix andObelix
Series	Asterix
Creative team
Writers	René Goscinny
Artists	Albert Uderzo
Original publication
Published in	Pilote magazine
Issues	172–213
Date of publication	1963
Language	French
Translation
Translator	Anthea Bell andDerek Hockridge
Chronology
Preceded by	Asterix the Gladiator
Followed by	Asterix and Cleopatra

Asterix and the Banquet (also known as"Asterix's Tour of Gaul" - translated fromFrench:Le Tour de Gaule d'Astérix) is a French comic book story, written byRené Goscinny and illustrated byAlbert Uderzo.^[1] It is the fifth story in theAsterixcomic book series, and was originally published byDargaud as a serial forPilote magazine in 1963,^[2] before later being released as a comic album in 1965.

The story focuses on Asterix and Obelix travelling around Gaul to find and secure various delicacies in order to win a bet against a Roman Prefect that seeks to keep their village isolated from the rest of the world. Much of the plot features notable parodies and cultural references surroundingFrance, including its history and society, and was the first to introduce the character ofDogmatix, after Goscinny and Uderzo found him to be popular with readers.

Asterix and the Banquet received positive reviews following its publication, with the original cover of the comic later being sold for a record sum in an auction in Paris in 2017.

Prefect Overanxius, sent byRome as an Inspector General, arrives at the fortied camp of Compendium inArmorica. He informs the camp's commander, Centurion Lotuseatus, that he intends to lead an assault against the village of Gauls that resistRoman rule. Despite protests from Lotuseatus, the camp is forced to do as ordered and is promptly repelled by the villagers thanks to the power of the magic potion that grants them superhuman strength. Undeterred, Overanxius decides to erect a stockage around the village so as to isolate it from the rest of the world.

The Gauls promptly resent this, leading to Asterix issuing a challenge to Overanxius - he declares that if he can escape the stockade and successfully secure for his village many of the delicacies ofGaul for a banquet, the Romans must tear down the stockade in defeat. Overanxius agrees, but after the villagers distract the Romans so that Asterix and Obelix can breach the stockade and begin their journey, he promptly sends word to every Roman garrison in Gaul to find and arrest the pair. After securing their first item inLutetia (Paris), Asterix and Obelix are cheated into buying a useless horse and chariot by a dishonest salesman, leading them to steal a Roman breakdown chariot as a result.

Upon reaching Camaracum (Cambrai) to buyboiled sweets, they find that many Gauls have heard of Asterix's challenge and are willing to help them win their challenge by causing problems for the Romans; though some Gauls they later meet attempt to betray the pair in hopes of securing a reward. After gaining additional purchases in Durocortorum (Reims),Lugdunum (Lyon), Nicae (Nice), Massilia (Marseille) and Tolosa (Toulouse), a pair of Roman highwaymen rob them when they are forced to make an impromptu camp. However, they luckily recover the stolen items in Burdigala (Bordeaux), after the thieves are mistaken by the Romans for Asterix and Obelix, taking advantage of the chaos that ensues from this to acquire further delicacies in the town.

The pair then secure passage on a ship run by Captain Seniorservix, who is honored to let them aboard, where they help to prevent an attack bythe pirates, who recognize Asterix and Obelix from their previous encounter. With Seniorservix's assistance, the pair are smuggled into Gesocribatum (Le Conquet), fighting past more Romans when they get discovered, before eventually returning home to their village. Asterix promptly invites Overanxius to witness his victory by showing him the food and wine that was acquired, before promptly giving him an "uppercut" punch as punishment for acting dishonourable during the bet. The villager thus celebrate Asterix's truimph, while Obelix discovers the pair had been followed by a white dog on their adventure that he gives a bone.

• Asterix – Gaulish warrior, and the main protagonist of the story.
• Obelix – Gaulishmenhir delivery man and warrior, and a close friend of Asterix. This story introduced a running gag for the character that would occur in later stories, in which he would often protest against any mention of himself being "fat".
• Dogmatix – A small white dog, who follows Asterix and Obelix on their journey. The character (unnamed in this comic) was meant by Goscinny to be a running gag for the story. However, they proved a popular creation that theAsterix creators decided to keep him as a mascot for the series, going against Goscinny's original notion that it should not feature any pets for the main characters.
• Getafix – Gaulish druid of the village, responsible for the superhuman magic potion they use.
• Vitalstatistix – Chief of the Gaulish village.
• Prefect Overanxius – A Roman official, designated as Inspector General, sent by Rome to deal with the Gaulish village in Armorica.
• Centurion Lotuseatus – The current commander of the Camp of Compendium. While the French publication reused the same character and their name - Gracchus Nenjetépus (in the English version, known as Gracchus Armisurplus) - fromAsterix the Gladiator, all other international publication renamed the character.
• Seniorservix – Gaulish captain of a menhir trading ship.
• The Pirates – A group of pirates led by Captain Redbeard, who often suffer bad luck with the Gauls.

Asterix and the Banquet featured many cultural references toFrance and the various regions, along with its culture. The plot of the comic was deeply inspired by theTour de France bicycle race. Alongside this, other major references to France included:

• In the original publication, the sack carried by Obelix was coloured yellow, in reference torace leader's jersey colour in theTour de France.
• The dishes areLutentian ham,bêtises de Camaracum,wines from Durocortum,sausages andmeatballs of Lugdunum,Nicae salad,Massilian fish stew,Tolosa sausages, Aginumprunes, and oysters andwhite wine from Burdigala.
• A scene involving the backalleys of Lugdunum, references thetraboules of Lyon that were used by theFrench Resistance duringWorld War II. The creators paid homage to the Resistance with a parody outfit called "The Gaulish Resistance".
• Several scenes in Massilia on the 36th page reference the works of filmmakerMarcel Pagnol -Marius (1931),Fanny (1932) andCésar (1936).[1] Pagnol greatly approved of the parodies theAsterix creators made, remarking that "work will be immortal...because it's appeared inAstérix!"[2]
• A number of parodies reflecting the regional stereotypes of inhabitants of Normandy andMarseille, as well as Parisian traffic and the holiday season in Nice.
• A phrase in the comic - "Je vous promets qu'on n'a pas fini d'en parler de l'affaire du courrier de Lugdunum!" - is a reference to a late 18th century trial involving an innocent man who was wrongfully convicted and executed for a robbery that led to murder.

In addition, the comic featured other cultural references:

• A quote made by Roman poetHorace - "Exegi monumentum aere perennius" (translated: "I have erected a monument more lasting than bronze.") - is uttered by a legionnaire during the scene involving the stockade's construction.
• A phrase written by Roman poetLucan inThe Pharsalia - "Victrix causa diis placuit, sed victa catoni" (translated: "The victorious cause was pleasing to the gods, but the lost cause was pleasing toCato") - is referenced by a crew member of the pirates after their defeat at the hands of Asterix and Obelix.
• In a scene at thecandy shop that the Gauls visit, the creators made reference to the playPatient Grissel with the lyrics from the lullaby Golden Slumbers.^[3]

OnGoodreads, the book has a score of 4.14 out of 5.^[4]

In October 2017, the book's original cover illustration, signed by the authors, was sold at a Paris auction for a record €1.4 million.^[5]

• Asterix and the Banquet Official English Page

• Asterix books
• Comics set in Paris
• Comics set in Marseille
• Works originally published in Pilote
• Literature first published in serial form
• 1965 graphic novels
• Works by René Goscinny
• Comics by Albert Uderzo
• Comics set in France
• Cultural depictions of French people

• CS1 French-language sources (fr)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Graphic novel pop
• Articles containing French-language text