Asterix Conquers Rome

Infobox Asterix
Title=Asterix Conquers Rome


caption=Cover of the Dutch translation
Frenchtitle=Les 12 Travaux D'Asterix
Story=Pierre Tchernia
René Goscinny
Albert Uderzo
Illustrations=credited to Uderzo,
assumingly Albert's brother Marcel Uderzo
FrenchDate=1976
EnglishDate=1979
Preceded="Asterix and the Great Crossing"
Followed="Obelix and Co."|

Asterix Conquers Rome (French: "Les 12 Travaux D'Asterix", literally "The 12 Tasks of Asterix") first published in 1976, was the comic book adaptation of the animated Asterix film "The Twelve Tasks of Asterix" and "unofficially" the twentythird Asterix volume to be published. It has very rarely been printed and is not widely know even amongst Asterix fans. The English translation has only been printed as part of a once off comic book annual, the Asterix Annual 1980. It is thus often excluded from "canonical" lists of Asterix volumes with the subsequently published Obelix and Co. typically being listed as the "official" twentythird volume.

Plot summary

After a Roman centurion is continually defeated by the Village of Indomitable Gauls, he concludes that they must be gods. Julius Caeser sets twelve tasks that only gods could perform, similar to the twelve tasks of Hercules, to prove that the Gauls are mere mortals. If the Gauls succeed, he will admit defeat and let the Gauls become the rulers of Rome, but if they fail, they will become his slaves. The challenge is accepted and Asterix and Obelix are chosen to represent the village, eventually succeeding in all tasks. At the end Caesar admits the Gaul's superiority. He is shown living in retirement married to Cleopatra, although it is explained that the ending is just wishful thinking.

Notes

The book should not be confused with the more widely published and translated illustrated text story book adaptation of the The Twelve Tasks of Asterix. The volume is only 27 pages long compared to the typical 44. The artwork, although credited to "Uderzo" in some printings, resembles that of the film and is thought to have been the work of Albert Uderzo's brother Marcel who had previously done reconstructive illustration on Asterix the Gaul. The French language version was produced in Belgium not France. An English translation based on the dialogue of the English version of the film was included in the Asterix Annual 1980 published by Whitman in 1979. It has also been translated into Dutch, German, Italian, Spanish and Serbo-Croatian. The Dutch version was a free booklet included with an issue of the magazine Eppo. The German version was published as a serial in the magazine Comixene in issues 24-29. The Serbo-Croatian version was published in black and white. The Italian version has been printed both in single book and serial format.

In other languages

*Dutch: "Asterix verovert Rome"
*German: "12 Prüfungen für Asterix"
*Italian: "Le 12 fatiche di Asterix"
*Spanish: "Las doce pruebas de Asterix (Asterix conquista Roma)"
*Serbo-Croatian: "12 podviga"

References

* [http://www.asterix.co.nz/take_a_look/asterixannual/index.html Asterix NZ, "Take a look Inside, Asterix Annual"]
* [http://www.asterix-obelix.nl/hjh/stories.html Asterix around the World, "Short Stories & Announcements"]