Asterix and Caesar's Gift

Asterix and Caesar's Gift (Le Cadeau de César)
Date	1977
Series	Asterix
Creative team
Writers	Rene Goscinny
Artists	Albert Uderzo
Original publication
Date of publication	1974
Language	French
Chronology
Preceded by	Asterix in Corsica
Followed by	Asterix and the Great Crossing

Asterix and Caesar's Gift is the twenty-first volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was the first Asterix adventure that was not published in serial form in Pilote magazine prior to its publication as a book.

Tremensdelirius and Egganlettus await their honest missio (Latin:honorary discharge); but Tremensdelirius, who has spent most of his enlistment being intoxicated, is imprisoned for insulting Julius Caesar while drunk. Upon hearing of this, Caesar suggests playing a practical joke, in which Tremensdelirius is awarded a Gaulish village in Armorica. A few days later, Tremensdelirius is drunk again and, unable to pay the innkeeper, offers his land share. Having agreed, innkeeper Orthopaedix, his wife Angina, and their daughter Influenza emigrate to the village and request a meeting with Chieftain Vitalstatistix to state their claim; but Vitalstatistix and the whole village dismiss their claim as absurd. When Angina berates her husband for selling their inn to travel to Armorica, Vitalstatistix offers Orthopaedix a building next to the fish-stall for his use as a tavern. Obelix helps the new family and soon becomes enamored of Influenza. On the opening night of the new inn, the merriment is spoiled when Vitalstatistix's wife Impedimenta quarrels with Angina over the ownership of the village and a comment about the smell of fish starts a fight. In the morning, Orthopaedix offers to quit the village and return to his wife's relatives in Lutetia; but Angina, for revenge on Impedimenta, makes a claim to the leadership of the village on behalf of her husband. Vitalstatistix has Cacofonix obtain an opinion poll of the villagers and the results are disappointing for Vitalstatistix. Soon both candidates and their families search for supporters by offering insincere support to the individual concerns of each villager. Geriatrix originally supports Vitalstatistix due to his distrust of Orthopaedix, but later tries to stand for Chief himself, and Asterix becomes worried that internal conflict could benefit the Romans. Meanwhile, Tremensdelirius arrives at the village to visit Orthopaedix and claim his land share, on grounds that all his later attempts at trade and piracy have failed. When Angina refuses, he threatens the family by drawing his sword; but is overcome by Asterix in a contest of swordsmanship. Thereafter Tremensdelirius seeks allies at a neighboring Roman legionary camp and finds his old friend Egganlettus re-enlisted as an aide-de-camp under the local centurion. With his support, Tremensdelirius makes an official request on the centurion to restore the land share. The centurion is reluctant to face the Gauls; but when the veterans threaten to report him to Caesar, he agrees to plan an attack based on siege engines, but demotes Egganlettus to the ranks.

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