Back in the day reading comic strips was seen as bad for kids. Nowadays teachers would be happy if kids even read comics. Whoever said that you can’t learn anything from comic strips has of course never read a Asterix albums. All the Latin quotes I know, I learned from reading Asterix. There is however one quote that had me scratch my ears.
In the album “Asterix and Son” our favourite provider of useful Latin quotes, the pirate Peg-leg, says “Non licet omnibus adire Brivatum“. Translated to English is reads, “Not everyone is permitted to enter Brivatum”. He says this in a response to Red Beard who has just told his men that isn’t a far swim to the port of Brivatum. Brivatum is the Latin name of the city of Brest. It is located on the western shores of France. Why aren’t we permitted to enter this city?
Corinth
For the answer, if you can call it that, we have to go a few albums back. When Asterix and Obelix accompany their chief, Vitalstatistix, to Belgium we meet the pirates as well. A similar quote is given, but this time with an other city name. Non licet omnibus adire Corinthum.
Corinth, in ancient times, was well-known for its temple prostitution. The apostle Paul even warns against it in the Bible. It was easy for a man to give in to the pleasures the city had to offer. Many a man lost all his money and honour in the city. Las Vegas would probably be the modern-day equivalent.
Riddle
The city of Brest however doesn’t have a reputation for being a city of sin and pleasure. Why Uderzo picked that town for this quote is still a mystery. Was it just because of the proximity to the sea and the place where the events presumably took place, or is there something more? What did Uderzo know about Brest that we don’t?
Even in the recently published “Asterix: les citations Latines expliquèes” (Asterix: Latin citations explained), they don’t provide us with an answer. They do tell us that these days going to Corinth is less tempting.
