Here at Ancient History Encyclopedia, we have been discussing what inspires us and decided our readers might be interested in the conversation as well. With that in mind, have a read of what inspires some of AHE’s  key figures to do what they do!

Jan van der Crabben

CEO and Founder

Changing the world; no less! I believe that we can make a real difference to society by helping students get interested in history, so that they learn more about it on their own. Too often schools fail to create an interest in our past, but it’s our past through which we understand our present. If you know your history, it’s hard to be xenophobic, racist, or nationalist…understanding how we’re all connected and share our history is an important step in creating a better world.

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James Blake Wiener

Communications Director

Being able to collaborate with a talented set of international professionals and share their passion for that which is “ancient” fuels my work at AHE. Everyday, I read and hear new perspectives, which stimulate my imagination and inspire me to explore new business opportunities. I find myself in an enviable position to represent and advance what I consider an exceptional nonprofit organization.

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Jade Koekoe

Blog Editor

I firmly believe in open access to information, everyone should have the opportunity to better themselves or learn for leisure. This can be difficult if all the good stuff is stuck behind a paywall! This ideal is what motivates my work with Ancient History Encyclopedia (AHE). Everyday the AHE team shares information with the world on hundreds of ancient history topics. Where else can you find such variety in the one place? I started with AHE because of my love of history and I will stay because of the opportunities it presents in sharing historical information.

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Mark Cartwright

Publishing Director

Making available to the public free historical information which is often buried in obscure and expensive academic books accessible only to university libraries or those with very deep pockets. I think at AHE we are in the process of re-defining what exactly is a 21st century encyclopedia. With narrative-driven articles packed with accurate historical information and illustrated with images and videos we are in a position to present history in an accessible and entertaining way. I’m also hopeful that as we build the encyclopedia we can allow the public to easily make fascinating comparisons between time-periods and world cultures and present a truly global inter-connected history of humanity.   

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Joshua J. Mark

Editor and Board Member

These lines from Rilke: “We can so easily slip back from what we have struggled to attain, abruptly, into a life we never wanted; can find that we are trapped, as in a dream, and die there, without ever waking up. This can occur. Anyone who has lifted his blood into a years-long work may find that he can’t sustain it, the force of gravity is irresistible, and it falls back, worthless. For somewhere there is an ancient enmity between our daily life and the great work.” This passage has been with me a long time now encouraging whatever work I do but, especially, writing for AHE. I think this is the most important work I’ve done as the past shows us where we’ve all been and where we could go from here. I’m very grateful to be working with the exceptional team at AHE and for the vision of the site which reminds us of the past so we can better shape our future.

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James Lloyd

Video Editor 

Working at Ancient History Encyclopedia is a real joy. There are few other places where one could find such geographically separated, yet equally driven and curious people. This, I think, is one of Ancient History Encyclopedia’s greatest assets; we all want to do what we are doing, and we want to do it well. For me, creating and sourcing videos means making sure that our readers have access to the best free content, whatever medium it is in!

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Liana Miate

Social Media Editor

I have always been passionate about ancient history, and as social media editor for AHE I have been privileged enough to not only get to share my love for ancient history with many people around the world, but also to have the opportunity to work with an amazing team of people who share the same passion that I do. At AHE our mission is to share quality and well-written content about the many fascinating historical figures, events and places that can be found throughout history, with students, teachers and history enthusiasts. The feedback I see on our social media accounts inspires me every day and reminds me that what we do is valued and appreciated. I feel incredibly lucky to be working for such a great organisation.  

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-“For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
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