Alexander Meddings

Based in Rome, Alexander Meddings is a published historian, writer and tour guide. After completing his Roman History MPhil at Oxford University, he moved to Italy to pursue his passion at the source.

Joined: January 24, 2020
Articles: 85

All Posts, Modern History

The Remarkable True Story of Napoleon’s Rise to Power

Crossing the Alps. Napoleon Rise to Power.

Some regard him as the greatest leader France has ever had. Others as a warmongering tyrant. Few historical figures polarize public opinion like Napoleon Bonaparte. On the one hand, he can be credited with upholding some of the best ideals…

Alexander Meddings
January 10, 2024

All Posts, Italy, Travel

Italia: Open to Meraviglia: A Campaign Deaf to the Reality of Italian Tourism

Venus the Influencer: the protagonsit of Italy's Welcome to Meraviglia Campaign

Last week, Italy’s Ministry of Tourism launched its latest campaign entitled Italia: Open to Meraviglia (‘Italy: Open to Wonder’). Fronted by Botticelli’s Venus in the role of a ‘Virtual Influencer’, and conveyed almost entirely in Italian, the €9 million campaign has…

Alexander Meddings
April 26, 2023

All Posts, For Curious Minds

Meet Chad-GPT: Artificial Intelligence’s Overnight Expert

For weeks my LinkedIn feed has been inundated with posts about ChatGPT. Some of these are from recognized authorities. But many more are penned by content marketers and/or tech-dudes-turned-AI experts. Experts I’ve come to label as Chad-GPTs. A recent graduate…

Alexander Meddings
April 4, 2023

History, All Posts, Ancient History, Religion

Did Jesus Exist?

For perhaps the most famous and influential figure in history, Jesus of Nazareth is remarkably (and frustratingly) enigmatic. So shrouded in obscurity many aspects of his life and teachings that many have called into question his very existence. Where does the truth lie? Read on to find out.

Alexander Meddings
March 29, 2023

Ancient History, All Posts, For Curious Minds, History, Travel

Travel in Antiquity | Part 6: Coastal Villas or When (Not) In Rome

It’s little surprise that when the summer heat hit, the ancient Romans were eager to trade the stench and squalor of the capital for the salty sea breeze of their coastal villas. From the picture Juvenal paints, the Eternal City…

Alexander Meddings
March 13, 2023

Ancient History, All Posts, For Curious Minds, History, Travel

Travel in Antiquity | Part 5: Sea, Sex, and Sermonising at Rome’s Beach Resorts

Orgy of the times of Tiberius on Capri. Henryk Siemiradzki (1881)

Did the Romans spend much time at the sea? Did they have party resorts to rival Ibiza, rife with sex, booze, and late night music? Did provincial towns have any infrastructure to cope with a sudden influx of tourists? The ancients do in fact tell us. Read on to see what they say.

Alexander Meddings
March 6, 2023

Ancient History, All Posts, History, Travel

Travel in Antiquity | Part 4: The Dawn of Sustainable Tourism?

Alexander Meddings
February 27, 2023

Ancient History, All Posts, History, Travel

Travel in Antiquity | Part 3: An Empire Without Limit?

The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra by Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema

According to Edward Gibbon, the Roman Empire under the Antonines was the happiest age of humanity; a proto-Schengen Area; a utopian union of non-existent borders, free movement and global cooperation. Is there any truth to this? Or did nostalgia paint over the reality?

Alexander Meddings
February 20, 2023

Travel, All Posts, Ancient History, History

Travel in Antiquity | Part 2: The Blossoming of Ancient Tourism

With the blossoming of religious festivals in the Classical Period and the discovery of a new world following the conquests of Alexander, the ancient world saw the birth of the world's first known "travel industry." What was it like? How did it work? And who wrote the guidebooks? Read on to find out more.

Alexander Meddings
February 13, 2023

Travel, All Posts, Ancient History, History

Travel in Antiquity | Part 1: A Yearning for Adventure

David Roberts RA, Statues of Memnon at Thebes, during The Inundation (1848). Copyright Royal Academy of Arts

How do our modern ideas of recreational travel stack up against those of classical antiquity? Find out during the course of this five-part series.

Alexander Meddings
February 6, 2023

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