ASTERIX AND THE ROMANS A CLOSE-UP LOOK AT LIFE IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE Photo : Jacques Lessard The year is 50 B.C. and all of Gaul is occupied by the Romans! This is the age of Asterix, Obelix, Cacofonix, Vitalstatistix, and their merry companions from the famous comic books by Uderzo and Goscinny. From October 22, 2003, to January 9, 2005, Musée de la civilisation is featuring the exhibition Asterix and the Romans, a close-up look at life in the famous Gallic village and the Roman Empire, where reality meets fiction. An exhibition from the National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) in Leiden, Netherlands, adapted by Musée de la civilisation with the kind authorization of Éditions Albert René. “The exhibition has been presented at three institutions in the Netherlands and Belgium, where it enjoyed great success. With its playful content and form and wealth of information, this exhibition is sure to attract a very broad audience. Children and parents alike know all about the world of the insurmountable Gauls and their terrible Roman invaders. However, in order to obtain a larger exhibition space and make the Gallo-Roman world comprehensible to a North American audience, we had to adapt the exhibition by adding both content and design elements,” said Musée de la civilisation general director Claire Simard during a press tour. Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s! The exhibition gives visitors a more accurate and realistic picture of the Gallo-Roman era and its peoples than the one presented in the comics. Were Gauls really the lovable, scrappy lads that Uderzo immortalized? Were the Roman soldiers really so nutty, puny, and faint-hearted that the sight of a Gaul made them run for the hills? The answers are in the exhibition. Photo : Jacques Lessard Artifacts from the time of Asterix, Caesar, and the Romans Some 200 largely archeological items such as fibulas, coins, helmets, lanceheads, phaleres, arms, rings, and clubheads, as well as large, blown-up comic book illustrations, three-dimensional reconstructions, interactive modules, life-size images of Asterix and his companions, and a movie (Asterix and the Indians) reveal what life was really like in the Roman Empire, with the adventures of Asterix as the common thread, of course. Let’s take a brief look at the exhibition to find out more. The Great Crossing—of the exhibition The exhibition has left Europe for North America! First, visitors are introduced to the exhibition’s various themes through the images of the comic book The Great Crossing. Then, seven areas invite them to discover the Gallo-Roman world in the company of emblematic characters: Getafix and the archeological digs; the soothsayer Prolix and warrior customs; Asterix, his village, his compatriots, and their occupations; Caesar and life in a military camp; Vitalstatistix and the Gallic and Roman warriors; Cassius Ceramix and Roman contributions to Gallic life; and Obelix and the adventures of Asterix around the world. For school groups, educational workshops are integrated into the exhibition room. Auberge de la brise vivifiante (Bracing Breeze Inn)—an area featuring 37 original drawings by Uderzo—is the starting point for comic strip workshops. And in the house of Malacoustix, kids can discover the role of druids and experiment with strange concoctions without, of course, revealing the secret of the magic potion! A Gallic village, a Roman camp, and a banquet—what a setting! At the entrance, visitors are welcomed by boxes of the comic book The Great Crossing, along with a time line and a map. Then, in an ancient-looking setting with drapings and columns, a discovery game allows them to learn more about archeology while texts by historians from Antiquity (Tacitus, Suetonius, and Ammien) provide information on the Gallo-Roman era. After learning that valiant Gallic warriors adorned the fronts of theirs houses with the skulls of vanquished enemies and that Romans were far from being wimps, visitors enter a life-size Gallic village, where they spy evidence of everyday life through both comic strips and artifacts. Fish hooks, fish knives, and harpoon spears at the home of Unhygienix, the fishmonger, and spearheads and livery at the house of Fulliautomatix, the blacksmith, are evidence of the work of these truly Herculean characters. And Cacofonix would be pleased for once—Gallic music and his instruments occupy a special place in the center of the village. Photo : Jacques Lessard PFurther on, visitors discover a Roman camp made up of tents. Caesar’s commentaries as well as comic book images evoke the difficult conditions in which Roman soldiers going to combat lived. Artifacts such as flasks, bronze helmets, swords, tools, divinities, and an altar reveal what camp life was like 2,000 years ago. Visitors learn how long and difficult the training soldiers underwent was, and yet how essential it was seeing as the security of the Romans depended on it. The interactive module Charge! features a simulation of a battle between Romans and Gauls, with one side in a nice, straight row and the other in disorderly assault, making an infernal racket. The Gauls certainly are a madcap bunch! Visitors learn about the war strategies of both camps through arms on display and comic book illustrations. As they continue on, visitors learn more and more about the two forces. A touchscreen and other items provide information on the Romanization of Gaul. At the end of their journey—as in every self-respecting Asterix comic book—visitors can sit down around a Gallic feast, with life-size illustrations of all the festive villagers and guests as their backdrop. Also on display is a large wild boar (stuffed and mounted), Asterix comic book images, and a North American Indian in a tree who is on the watch. Asterix and the Romans is an exhibition the whole tribe should see—before the sky comes falling down! The exhibition runs until January 9, 2005, at Musée de la civilisation in Québec City. An exhibition from the National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) in Leiden, Netherlands, adapted by Musée de la civilisation with the kind authorization of Éditions Albert René Informations: Serge Poulin, [418] 643-2158 Relations publiques et communications Issued : October XXI, MMIII

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