Share the Power

Let's talk about Asterix here...

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Geriatrix

Share the Power

Beitrag: # 12954Beitrag Geriatrix »

After a gap of 10 years, I read my Asterix books over again.
One thing struck me. In How Obelix....it shows the village having magic potion during what would have been Ceasars early campaigns in Gaul.

Why then did the druid not share the potion amongst all the tribes of gaul to enable the defeat of Rome?

Why keep it to himself.

If the village are so fond of Freedom why did they not bring freedom to all of Gaul?
invisifan

Re: Share the Power

Beitrag: # 12956Beitrag invisifan »

Geriatrix hat geschrieben:If the village are so fond of Freedom why did they not bring freedom to all of Gaul?
The potion is temporary & producing enough to supply all Gaulish warriors who would need it would mean mass production -- and be more than a single druid could manage ... so with several people having the formula it *would* get out, and even if it didn't, batches could easily fall into the wrong hands (which could easily include unscrupulous Gauls and even those simply corrupted by power)... Getafix would have felt that the potential danger of losing control of the potion far out weighed any possible benefit (if the Romans were defeated the Gauls would be unlikely to stop there -- they'd do the same in reverse & maybe worse).
Zuletzt geändert von invisifan am 15. September 2006 10:40, insgesamt 1-mal geändert.
Bernard

Beitrag: # 12962Beitrag Bernard »

Good question Geriatrix, and welcome to the boards.

At the time of Caesar's invasion, Gaul consisted of many tribes, some of which actually fought against each other. A tribe could invite, for example, German tribes to come over to fight against fellow Gauls. Another would prefer to turn to Rome for help and so on. Hence the foundations were there for Julius Caesar to employ a "divide and rule" policy in Gaul. There was also one famous Gallic druid who was pro-Roman, and whose tribe were allies of Caesar and the Romans: Diviciacus. If this guy had the secrets of the magic potion, well ...

I'm not sure how long Vercingetorix and his achievements would have lasted had he been victorious, not long I suppose. The Romanised German, Arminius, whose alliance of German tribes had ambushed and defeated three Roman legions in the Teutoberg Forest in AD 9, and who Tacitus described as the "liberator of Germany" only lived to enjoy his glory for a few years before "the liberated" got rid of him.
Christine

Beitrag: # 12965Beitrag Christine »

The Gauls, and Obelix in particular, could not bear to live without the Romans and good fights !
In the books, Romans are not that bad. Occupation is hardly -if ever- shown as brutal, and on the whole the stories take place during a thriving 'Pax Romana'. Only the occasionnal villain appears (tax-collector, corrupted official...) and gets a real bashing.
Bernard's answer is full of good sense : see what happen in the 'Goths' album, when everybody and anybody can use magic potion : it turns people into would-be dictators.

There may be only once a reflexion about the ability of the Gauls to resist their fate, in 'Gods' mansion'. If I remember correctly, Asterix asks the Druid whether they will be able to change the course of history for long ; the answer is "no... but we still have time".
Romans were eventually defeated also by the passing time... (Vulnerant omnes, ultima necat).
Zuletzt geändert von Christine am 19. September 2006 11:01, insgesamt 2-mal geändert.
shr

Beitrag: # 13009Beitrag shr »

The only time G&U address this issue directly is in Asterix and Britain, when the Gauls go over to Britain with a barrel of magic potion to help the British resistance.
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