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Cacofonix's lyre is of a different style from the Roman lyre. He is rarely seen without it, and is constantly playing it and trying to sing - much to the consternation of anyone else who happens to be nearby. The lyre is, by far, Cacofonix the Bard's favorite musical instrument. Management is forced to conceed the issue in order to keep the troops at bay. In Asterix and the Mansions of the Gods the legionaries demand that the more pleasant musical sounds of the lyre be used to announce mealtimes instead of buccina. This class distinction apparently became an issue once collective bargaining and unions began to assert themselves as tools for empowerment by the common man. Meals to the accompaniment of lyres was also the priviledge of Roman olympian Gluteus Maximus in Asterix and the Olympic Games Notice the two diffent lyre constructions: wood and animal horn. Not only were the elite politicians entertained a mealtime my music. In Asterix and the Roman Agent, a musical ensemble consisting of a wood lyre, aulos and tambor provide music for a meal in Julius Caesar's villa. In the world of Asterix, the lyre was used by the Romans to accompany meals. Part 6: Stringed Instruments (Lyre, Harp, Lute, Rebec) Russell Professor of Acoustics & Director of Distance Education The Adventures of Asterix the Gaul Daniel A.
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Musical Instruments of Antiquity as Illustrated in Musical Instruments in Asterix & Obelix #6: Stringed Instruments
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