Alexander Meddings

Based in Rome, Alexander Meddings is a published writer and historian. 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: 86

History, All Posts, Modern History, Travel

London’s Hidden History

With over 2,000 years of continuous settlement, London is bursting with history. Beneath the very streets you walk, and within the walls of the buildings that line them, are countless stories of the city's dark and violent past. You have just to scratch beneath the surface to find them.

Alexander Meddings
June 13, 2020

Ancient History, All Posts, History, Rome and Lazio

The Truth Behind Caligula’s Nemi Ships

Italians viewing the Nemi ships of the emperor Caligula, 1932. O Tempora, O Mores

Caligula’s Nemi Ships may have been destroyed by fire in 1944. But they live on conceptually as vessels for the emperor’s debauchery and excess. According to the ancient sources, when Caligula wasn’t busy indulging his scandalous sex life and shagging…

Alexander Meddings
June 4, 2020

Ancient History, All Posts, History

Ancient Jobs from Hell

The_Pyrrhic_Dance_(detail)_by_Lawrence_Talma-Tadema

Read on for a list of ancient jobs that make being a call-centre worker (sorry), a corporate lawyer (sorry again) or a White House Press Officer (actually not sorry here) seem like a walk in the park.

Alexander Meddings
June 4, 2020

Italy, All Posts, Bologna and Emilia-Romagna, Culinary Culture, Travel

Bologna for Foodies

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you read the word Bologna? If you’re anything like me, I imagine it’s a certain world-famous culinary creation, ragù alla bolognese, which we tend to serve with spaghetti. Every Italian city,…

Alexander Meddings
May 24, 2020

Italy, Culinary Culture, Rome and Lazio, Travel

Fry Me to the Moon: A Short Guide to Italian Fried Food

Fry me to the Moon Budget Guide to the Best Fried Food in Italy

I first came to Italy in 2015, when I took on an internship at Florence’s Institute of Prehistory. I loved the work, the weather and the people (not to mention the language — difficult though it was). But as the…

Alexander Meddings
May 24, 2020

Italy, All Posts, Puglia and Basilicata

How to Visit Puglia on a Budget

Visiting Puglia on a Budget Photo Credit Veronica Reverse

How to Visit Puglia on a Budget By Alexander Meddings Stretching along the side of Southern Italy’s heel, the coastal region of Puglia is an unspoilt gem of beautiful beaches, little known cities, and architectural wonders. It doesn’t have the…

Alexander Meddings
May 24, 2020

For Curious Minds, All Posts

How to Survive a Long-Distance Relationship

Now and then in today’s interconnected world, it happens that the person you love fucks off to another country. This leaves you in a bit of a tricky predicament. Either you continue to be together (although not technically together), or…

Alexander Meddings
May 22, 2020

History, All Posts, Modern History

The Lions that Led: Redeeming the Generals of the First World War

General_Officers_of_World_War_I_by_John_Singer_Sargent-Cropped

The scale of the First World War's slaughter is almost incomprehensible - the bloodshed of millions resulting in the loss of a generation. And the sluggishness of its commanders to adapt to its technological demands popularized the phrase: “lions led by donkeys”. But there were some generals whose brilliance shone out even through the gas clouds and hellish shellfire of the war’s front lines. This article endeavours to redeem them.

Alexander Meddings
May 22, 2020

Ancient History, History

The Sex Lives of the Caesars

From Augustus' serial adultery to Nero's maternal incest, read on for a fun, factual exposè into the scandalous sex lives of the Caesars.

Religion, For Curious Minds, Medieval History

What is Sharia Law?

Sharia – شريعة in Arabic – roughly translates into English as the ‘path to the watering hole’, the watering hole being Allah. The imagery is simple and clear. Sharia represents a moral code, a sacred system of principles; in a less…

Alexander Meddings
May 18, 2020

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