History Recap / ASterixAndTheBanquet

* VacationEpisode: Asterix and Obelix travels to various cities in Gaul, aka France.

* EarlyBirdCameo: Early on, a small, white dog with black spots starts following Asterix and Obelix around. Coincidentally, the next album would be the debut of Dogmatix.

* HistoricalInJoke: A native of Massilia (Marseilles) threatens a Roman patrol not to disturb their bowling game or else there will be blood on the streets, riots, ''revolution'' - "we're thinking of writing a song about that".[[note]]Referring to ''La Marseillaise'', song of UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution and national anthem of France[[/note]]
* HonestJohnsDealership: A used chariot dealer sells Astérix and Obélix a spanking-new ride with a strong black stallion... only problem is, the chariot falls apart within a few minutes, and the strong black stallion turns out to be a weakly white horse painted black, its paint washing off when it starts to rain.

* MeaningfulName: The two treacherous Gauls that try to sell Asterix and Obelix out to the Romans are names, appropiately, Unpatriotix and Uptotrix.

** The locals Asterix and Obelix meet in Massilia are homages to the 1930s Marcel Pagnol-penned film trilogy ''Marius'', ''Fanny'', and ''César''; innkeeper Drinklikafix in particular is drawn to look like Raimu (stage name of Jules Muraire), the actor who played the third film's title character (also an innkeeper by the port in modern-day Marseilles) throughout the trilogy, which is why he is initially addressed as "César" by the patrons. The scene of the regulars playing cards is framed to look like a similar scene from ''Marius'', while their boules game visally references ''Fanny''.

** The original French title (''Le Tour de Gaule'') and the central plot are allusions to the TourDeFrance, with Obelix's bag referencing the yellow jersey worn by the leader.

** The locals Asterix and Obelix meet in Massilia are homages to the 1930s Marcel Pagnol-penned film trilogy ''Marius'', ''Fanny'', and ''César''; innkeeper Drinklikafix in particular is drawn to look like Raimu (stage name of Jules Muraire), the actor who played the third film's title character (also an innkeeper by the port in modern-day Marseilles) throughout the trilogy, which is why he is initially addressed as "César" by the patrons.

As Asterix and Obelix head for Tolosa (today called Toulouse), darkness falls, and they rest for the night... only to discover, when dawn breaks, that they have spent the night in the middle of a Roman camp! Deciding that "hitching" a lift with the Romans to Tolosa will speed things up a bit, they turn themselves over to the camp centurion, who, after several failed attempts to put them in chains, takes them to see Prefect Adipus in a cart. When he returns with the prefect, the Armoricans have bashed in his legionaries and left with the cart and some local sausage.[[note]] Namely, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saucisse_de_Toulouse Saucisse de Toulouse.]][[/note]] The enraged Romans put a 50,000 sestertii price on Asterix and Obelix' heads, attracting the attention of collaborator Uptotrix in Aginum (today called Agen); he promises the local Roman commander that he will give the two outlaws drugged food and deliver them into the commander's hands. When our heroes arrive, Uptotrix meets them and gives them a bag of local prunes[[note]] Pruneaux d'Agen, as they are now known.[[/note]] and takes them to his inn; Obelix begins eating immediately, but a suspicious Asterix forces Uptotrix to eat some of the other boar, and he drops to the floor, fast asleep (Obelix is unaffected; on the contrary, he describes the boar as "a real eye-opener"!).

Leaving the cart behind and continuing on the horses, Asterix and Obelix are forced to stop for the night when Obelix' horse collapses under the weight of his rider and the shopping bag; while they sleep, two bandits steal the shopping bag... and, as they are of similar build to Asterix and Obelix, they are arrested by the first Roman patrol they encounter. They are put on display in the main square in Burdigala (called Bordeaux today) as an example to the locals... only for the real Asterix and Obelix to arrive, reclaim their shopping bag, and bash in the Romans before heading on their way with some local wine and oysters.[[note]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordeaux_wine Bordeaux wine]] and oysters being a delicacy even then.[[/note]]

Inspector General Overanxius visits the Roman camp of Compendium on Caesar's behalf, determined to subdue the Gauls of Asterix's village. One resounding defeat on the battlefield later, he decides that since they can't be subdued, they should be isolated from the world, and has a giant wall built around the village. Asterix declares that not only will he escape, but also make a tour through all of Gaul, collecting [[RegionalSpeciality special foods]] from different spots as evidence; if he succeeds, Overanxius will take down the wall. With Obelix with him, carrying a large yellow shopping bag for the food, and the rest of the village as a diversion, the heroes make their break. They think little of the Roman soldier on horseback they see riding in the distance as they make their way to Rotomagus (Rouen today).

Prefect Poisonus Fungus orders his men to stop the two Armoricans when they arrive at Lugdunum, but one of his slaves is a member of the local resistance, and the leader, Jellibabix, ushers Asterix and Obelix down a side road when they find themselves seemingly surrounded by Roman patrols. He leaves them with friends and heads to the prefect's palace, ostensibly to lead him to the two outlaws. However, Lugdunum's streets are a giant maze that only locals can navigate without getting utterly lost, and one quick sprint later, Jellibabix has left the Roman patrol following him unable to find each other or their way out; even the prefect gets lost when a well-meaning legionary picks up the stones he tried to use to mark his route. Jellibabix gives Asterix and Obelix a gift of sausages and meatballs[[note]] More precisely, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saucisson_de_Lyon saucisson de Lyon]] and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quenelle Quenelles]].[[/note]] and a chariot, and they move on.

* ContinuityNod: References to ''The Golden Sickle'' and ''The Gladiator'' are made.

* HeroStoleMyBike: To escape the Romans, Asterix and Obelix have to hijack a bystanders boat.
* TheHighwayman: Asterix and Obelix become victim of two of them while they are sleeping.

Inspector General Overanixius decides that since the Gauls of Asterix's village can't be subdued, they should be isolated from the world, and has a giant wall built around the village. Asterix declares that not only will he escape, but also make a tour through all of Gaul, collecting [[RegionalSpeciality special foods]] from different spots as evidence; if he succeeds, Overanxius will take down the wall. With Obelix with him and the rest of the village as a diversion, the heroes make their break. What follows is a mad run around Gaul as Asterix and Obelix dodge Roman patrols. Eventually, they complete their rounds and return to the village to serve ''their'' special to Overanxius; an uppercut!

* OneSteveLimit: Averted; the owner of the Massilian inn where Asterix and Obelix stop is named Ceasar, leading to a surprised reaction from the two heroes upon hearing another patron call his name.

* ShoutOut: The original French title (''Le Tour de Gaule'') and the central plot are allusions to the TourDeFrance, with Obelix's bag referencing the yellow jersey worn by the leader.

* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: Twice in the story, a fellow Gaul betrays Asterix and Obelix by putting a sedative in the wild boar he serves them and then sells them out to the Romans. The first time it works on Asterix and he is arrested, but Obelix frees him later. The second time, Asterix realizes something is up and forces his host [[HoistByHisOwnPetard to eat the boar instead]], confirming Asterix' suspisions when the host promptly falls asleep. Obelix does eat his boar, but somehow [[NoSell the sedative doesn't work]].

* CityInABottle: the Romans intend for the Gaul village to become this, building a huge wall to isolate them from the rest of the world. It is what prompts Asterix and Obelix to go on their quest.

* MeaningfulName: the two treacherous Gauls that try to sell Asterix and Obelix out to the Romans are names, appropiately, Unpatriotix and Uptotrix.
* MistakenIdentity: two robbers come across the sleeping Asterix and Obelix, and steal their bag containing all the items they collected so far. Unfortunately for them, since the robbers' physical stature matches that of Asterix and Obelix (a short guy and a tall fat guy) and since they now have the bag, the Romans mistake them for Asterix and Obelix and promptly arrest them.

* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: twice in the story, a fellow Gaul betrays Asterix and Obelix by putting a sedative in the wild boar he serves them and then sells them out to the Romans. The first time it works on Asterix and he is arrested, but Obelix frees him later. The second time, Asterix realizes something is up and forces his host [[HoistByHisOwnPetard to eat the boar instead]], confirming Asterix' suspisions when the host promptly falls asleep. Obelix does eat his boar, but somehow [[NoSell the sedative doesn't work]].

Inspector General Overanixius decides that since the Gauls of Asterix's village can't be subdued, they should be isolated from the world, and has a giant wall built around the village. Asterix declares that not only will he escape, but also make a tour through all of Gaul, collecting special foods from different spots as evidence; if he succeeds, Overanxius will take down the wall. With Obelix with him and the rest of the village as a diversion, the heroes make their break. What follows is a mad run around Gaul as Asterix and Obelix dodge Roman patrols. Eventually, they complete their rounds and return to the village to serve ''their'' special to Overanxius; an uppercut!

* TheHighwayman: Asterix and Obelix become victim of two of them while they are sleeping.

* MeaningfullName: the two treacherous Gauls that try to sell Asterix and Obelix out to the Romans are names, appropiately, Unpatriotix and Uptotrix.

Inspector General Overanixius decides that since the Gauls of Asterix's village can't be subdued, they should be isolated from the world, and has a giant wall built around the village. Asterix declares that not only will he escape, but also collect special foods from different spots in Gaul; if he succeeds, Overanxius will take down the wall. With Obelix with him and the rest of the village as a diversion, the heroes make their break. What follows is a mad run around Gaul as Asterix and Obelix dodge Roman patrols. Eventually, they complete their rounds and return to the village to serve ''their'' special to Overanxius; an uppercut!

* LostInTranslation: One of the reasons ''Asterix and the Banquet'' was the fifth ''Asterix'' book to appear in French but the twenty-third to appear in English was the translators' concern that the jokes based on French regional stereotypes (such as the inability of Normans to give a straight answer, the absurdly labyrinthine nature of Lyon's streets, the impossibly long traffic jams which stretch back from the Côte d'Azur at the beginning of every summer, the hot-blooded nature and penchant for exaggeration of the locals in Marseilles, etc.) would make little sense to audiences outside France.

* HistoricalInJoke: A native of Massilia (Marseilles) threatens a Roman patrol not to disturb their bowling game or else there will be blood on the streets, riots, ''revolution'' - "we're thinking of writing a song about that".[[note]]Referring to ''La Marseillaise'', song of TheFrenchRevolution and national anthem of France[[/note]]

* LostInTranslation: One of the reasons ''Asterix and the Banquet'' was the fifth ''Asterix'' book to appear in French but the twenty-third to appear in English was the translators' concern that the jokes based on French regional stereotypes (such as the inability of Normans to give a straight answer, the absurdly labyrinthine nature of Lyon's streets, the impossibly long traffic jams which stretch back from the Côte d'Azur at the beginning of every summer, etc.) would make little sense to audiences outside France.

* ShoutOut: the entire travel is a complete ShoutOut to the TourDeFrance, with Obelix's bag referencing the yellow jersey worn by the leader.

* HonestJohnsDealership: A used chariot dealer sells Astérix and Obélix a spanking-new ride with a strong black stallion... only problem is, the chariot falls apart within a few minutes, and the strong black stallion turns out to be a weakly white horse painted black, its paint washing off when it starts to rain.

* HeroStoleMyBike: To escape the Romans, Asterix and Obelix have to hijack a bystanders boat.