Caligula Minus

Roman legionary disguised as a Gaul to infiltrate the village

In contemporary Britain, now known as England, espionage activities are run by the Intelligence Service. Back in 50 BC, according to the authors of Asterix, even if the Romans did indeed understand the importance of espionage, they didn't bother using intelligence to ferret out the secret behind the extraordinary strength of the Gauls living in Asterix's village. Indeed, Caligula Minus, who was assigned to the daunting task of infiltrating the Gaul village (using the name Caliguliminix!) is anything but clever. He doesn't even understand the orders he receives from the centurion, Crismus Bonus! But, by becoming the first Roman to learn of the magic potion concocted by Getafix, Minus plays a crucial role. This simpleton nonchalantly gives the authors a chance to introduce the essential elements of the Asterix universe, thereby setting the stage for the future adventures. For example, this first album teaches us to watch out for music in the Asterix stories, and not just the music of Cacofonix. The reason Caligula Minus was chosen from the legionaries at the Compendium camp, who were terrified of approaching the Gauls, was because he lost at a game of musical chairs. And Asterix proceeds to unmask him in the middle of a dance, too! Honestly, isn't this information new proof of our intelligence? Service!

In which book ?

1 - Asterix the Gaul