While out hunting, Asterix and Obelix encounter Gluteus Maximus, a buff legionary stationed at the fortified camp of Aquarium who is training for the Olympic Games. Our heroes' potion-fuelled antics shake the legionary's resolve, so his centurion Veriambitius appeals to Vitalstatistix for the Gauls to leave him alone. This piques the Gauls' interest, and they decide that they want to take part as well, despite the fact that Romans are the only non-Greeks allowed to take part. But wait a minute; Gaul is part of the Roman Empire, so the Gauls are Roman subjects, and that technically makes them Romans. So, all the men of The Indomitable Village travel to Greece, crushing the resolve of all the Roman athletes. However, when the magic potion is seen as illegal doping, Asterix has to train hard for the competition.
The strange thing about this one is that I actually feel kind of bad for Gluteus Maximus. His confidence drops to the point where he consigns himself to fatigue duty in the camp rather than training. Veriambitius actually seems concerned for his well-being, although this is more to do with the prestige they'll both get if they win an event. However, this does bring about a hilarious misunderstanding about Gaulish tradition; Vitalstatistix is having his annual bath when Veriambitius asks for an audience with him, so his shield-bearers carry him out in the bath to speak with the centurion. Later on, Vitalstatistix travels to Aquarium to speak with Veriambitius, and the centurion is carried out to meet him in a bathtub, believing that was the Gaulish custom.
There's another joke in which the Romans are convinced the Gauls will beat them, so they spend their time at the Olympic village feasting, which causes friction with the Greek athletes who are on strict diets. Maybe it's because I'm doing the marathon, but I saw that joke as recycled from the previous album. However, my favourite joke is when the Gauls are travelling to Greece, having obtained cheap passage which is "one class only, deck games, open air sports, and marvellous atmosphere". It turns out that they have to man the oars. And stopping to fight pirates is an optional extra that isn't covered in the cost, which annoys the pirates who had scuttled their own ship when they realised they'd encountered the Gauls.
As for continuity, this album introduces Geriatrix, one of the oldest inhabitants of The Indomitable Village. He had made a few minor appearances before, but this one gives him his name and establishes his character as a cantankerous skirt-chaser.
Personally, I don't rate this one as highly as the other ones I've read, but I still think it's worth checking out.
At this point, I'm entering what I'd like to call the "Post-Protest Period" of the series. 1968 was a year which saw a lot of unrest in France, with mass demonstrations and general strikes bringing the country's economy to a halt. This inspired Goscinny to begin incorporating more adult themes in his work, such as in this story which satirises the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports.
Anyway, I'll see you later today for my review of Asterix and the Cauldron.
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