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'The Arcadian Library is unique in Europe. The 10,000 or so volumes which it owns provide a complete picture of the encounter between two cultures and show how the civilization of the Arab and Islamic worlds was appreciated in the Christian West from the earliest times to the present day. The purpose of this heavily-illustrated survey is to provide an idea of the variety of works, documents, and images which the library holds in different domains. Travel writings prevail, a reflection of the impressions made on Europeans by the vast region centred on Arabia and the Levant and stretching from the Maghreb to South and Central Asia, and of the discoveries they made and the effect of their findings on Western knowledge and sensibility. The section on travellers also includes some of the rarer items in the library - unique manuscripts and maps, colour-plate books, and unpublished letters from figures such as Richard Burton, T.E. Lawrence, and Gertrude Bell. In addition to travel there is a large collection of Turcica, with its rare pamphlets and illustrations; a section on Arab science and medicine which contains priceless incunables of translations of Arabic texts; an important selection of Quran translations and material on Eastern Christianity; documents both published and unpublished on the Arabs in Spain and the influence of the tradition they established on early modern Spain and the rest of Europe; numerous products of oriental scholarship and, finally, works of oriental literature which include, besides translations from Turkish and Persian, unpublished manuscripts, and splendidly illustrated copies of The Arabian Nights. Over 200 illustrations of some of the finest items in the library, including four 8-page fold-outs, complement the text. The bibliography, running to almost 2000 entries, gives an overview of some of the most important items in the library.'

<p>In the present paper we analyse the institutional set-up of the Arcadian federation, a Greek democratic federation, through an interactive analysis. We compare its federal political and economic institutions with the European Union (EU) in order to show if the ancient federation can offer us any institutional feedback for the further integration of the EU. We present its institutional (political and economic) set ups and then discusses differences and similarities. We have found that some of the basic Arcadian federal institutions could serve as a benchmark for the further promotion of democratic procedures and social cohesion in the EU.</p>

Abstract
In his Histories, Polybius compares the descent of the rule of King Philip v of Macedon to tyranny to Plato's description from the Republic of a man transforming into a werewolf. Such imagery is unique in classical Greek historiography, and exemplifies Polybius' reliance on the idea of men acting like animals to describe when individuals or groups lose self-restraint, an idea found in Plato's Republic. Plato uses θηριώδης to describe the 'base desires' of the soul that must be constrained by reason otherwise the individual will resort to crime or political revolution to satiate them. Polybius employs ἀποθηριόω in situations when individuals or groups lose part or all of their self-control, which results in self-destruction. The parallels in language and ideas indicate that Polybius' idea of humans acting like animals derives from Plato. Recognizing this intellectual origin provides readers with a better understanding of the universal lessons of the Histories.