TOW #16: A Dark History: The Roman Emperors by Michael Kerrigan part 2

            This week I completed my reading of A Dark History: The Roman Emperors, by respected historical author Michael Kerrigan. The detailed accounts of the scandals in the everyday life of an ancient Roman emperor are just as riveting throughout the second half of the book as they were in the first. The latter half of this historical discourse covers the “Five Good Emperors”, Rome’s notorious emperor Commodus, and the “Year of Shame”, amongst other things. Published recently in 2008, this book gives the common first-world reader a modern look on some of history’s most storied rulers and ancient events. With astonishing descriptions and vivid imagery, the second half of A Dark History: The Roman Emperors powerfully wraps up hundreds of years of historical accounts, and leaves the reader with a lasting impression of the grandeur and complexity of ancient Rome. Though the purpose of the first half of the text (to provide the reader with a modern account of ancient Roman history) carries through to the end of the accounts, another purpose also emerges in the second part. Through usage of vivid imagery, the author aims to show that the scandals of the ancients, while sometimes shocking and socially inappropriate by current standards, are not such a far cry from modern life. Kerrigan’s elaborate descriptions of political upheavals and tempestuous relationships can be very reminiscent of affairs in relatively recent times. For example, the details of the reign of the murderous emperor Titus invoke some similarities to 20^th century political figure Adolf Hitler. Both harbored a deep hatred for Jews, and set out on a personal quest to exterminate the “Jewish problem”. Being able to make this connection due to Kerrigan’s imagery allows the reader to see how being informed about the ancient Roman emperors can be very useful and relevant in modern times. Being that I was able to make this connection, I would definitely say that Kerrigan was effective in his usage of rhetorical strategies to achieve his purpose.