Asterix and Cleopatra
The Gauls head to Egypt to help an anxious architect build Cleopatra a palace in three months.
Asterix and Cleopatra is the sixth Asterix story, written by René Goscinny and drawn by Albert Uderzo. It first ran as a serial in Pilote in 1963, published by Dargaud, and came out as an album in 1965. The adventure sends Asterix and Obelix with the druid Getafix to Ancient Egypt, where an old architect friend of the druid must finish a huge building so that Cleopatra can win a wager against Julius Caesar. It is one of the best-known entries in the series, adapted twice for the cinema.
Quick Facts
- Date
- 1965
- Series
- Asterix
- Original language
- French
- Writers
- René Goscinny
- Artists
- Albert Uderzo
- Translator
- Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge
Facts from the source article.
Background
In Egypt, Caesar sneers that Egyptian civilisation has lost its greatness beside Rome. Stung, Cleopatra bets she can build him a magnificent palace in Alexandria within three months, and hands the job to the architect Edifis, promising riches for success and the sacred crocodiles for failure. Edifis travels to Gaul to seek help from Getafix, whose potion grants superhuman strength. The druid returns with him, along with Asterix, Obelix and Obelix's new dog, Dogmatix. The rival architect Artifis, snubbed by Edifis, tries sabotage, has his henchman Krukhut trap the Gauls in a pyramid, and sends a poisoned cake in their name to frame them.
Did You Know?
- The 2002 live-action film starred Christian Clavier and Gérard Depardieu and was a huge hit in France.
- Goscinny and Uderzo supervised the animation of the 1968 film to improve on the first Asterix film.
- An audiobook version adapted by Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge was narrated by Willie Rushton.
- Back in the village, Obelix tries to make his menhirs look like Egyptian obelisks, to Chief Vitalstatistix's disapproval.
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