The Ten Books on Architecture
TRANSLATED BY MORRIS HICKY MORGAN, PH.D., LL.D. LATE PROFESSOR OF CLASSICAL PHILOLOGY IN HARVARD UNIVERSITY
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND ORIGINAL DESIGNS PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF HERBERT LANGFORD WARREN, A.M. NELSON ROBINSON JR. PROFESSOR OF ARCHITECTURE IN HARVARD UNIVERSITY CAMBRIDGE HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS
LONDON: HUMPHREY MILFORD OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1914
COPYRIGHT, HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS
During the last years of his life, Professor Morgan had devoted much time and energy to the preparation of a translation of Vitruvius, which he proposed to supplement with a revised text, illustrations, and notes. He had completed the translation, with the exception of the last four chapters of the tenth book, and had discussed, with Professor Warren, the illustrations intended for the first six books of the work; the notes had not been arranged or completed, though many of them were outlined in the manuscript, or the intention to insert them indicated. The several books of the translation, so far as it was completed, had been read to a little group of friends, consisting of Professors Sheldon and Kittredge, and myself, and had received our criticism, which had, at times, been utilized in the revision of the work.
After the death of Professor Morgan, in spite of my obvious incompetency from a technical point of view, I undertook, at the request of his family, to complete the translation, and to see the book through the press. I must, therefore, assume entire responsibility for the translation of the tenth book, beginning with chapter thirteen, and further responsibility for necessary changes made by me in the earlier part of the translation, changes which, in no case, affect any theory held by Professor Morgan, but which involve mainly the adoption of simpler forms of statement, or the correction of obvious oversights.
The text followed is that of Valentine Rose in his second edition (Leipzig, 1899), and the variations from this text are, with a few exceptions which are indicated in the footnotes, in the nature of a return to the consensus of the manuscript readings.
Vitruvius Pollio
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VITRUVIUS
THE TEN BOOKS ON ARCHITECTURE
PREFACE
VITRUVIUS
BOOK I
PREFACE
CHAPTER I
THE EDUCATION OF THE ARCHITECT
CHAPTER II
THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF ARCHITECTURE
CHAPTER III
THE DEPARTMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE
CHAPTER IV
THE SITE OF A CITY
CHAPTER V
THE CITY WALLS
CHAPTER VI
THE DIRECTIONS OF THE STREETS; WITH REMARKS ON THE WINDS
CHAPTER VII
THE SITES FOR PUBLIC BUILDINGS
BOOK II
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I
THE ORIGIN OF THE DWELLING HOUSE
CHAPTER II
ON THE PRIMORDIAL SUBSTANCE ACCORDING TO THE PHYSICISTS
CHAPTER III
BRICK
CHAPTER IV
SAND
CHAPTER V
LIME
CHAPTER VI
POZZOLANA
CHAPTER VII
STONE
CHAPTER VIII
METHODS OF BUILDING WALLS
CHAPTER IX
TIMBER
CHAPTER X
HIGHLAND AND LOWLAND FIR
BOOK III
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I
ON SYMMETRY: IN TEMPLES AND IN THE HUMAN BODY
CHAPTER II
CLASSIFICATION OF TEMPLES
CHAPTER III
THE PROPORTIONS OF INTERCOLUMNIATIONS AND OF COLUMNS
CHAPTER IV
THE FOUNDATIONS AND SUBSTRUCTURES OF TEMPLES
CHAPTER V
PROPORTIONS OF THE BASE, CAPITALS, AND ENTABLATURE IN THE IONIC ORDER
BOOK IV
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I
THE ORIGINS OF THE THREE ORDERS, AND THE PROPORTIONS OF THE CORINTHIAN CAPITAL
CHAPTER II
THE ORNAMENTS OF THE ORDERS
CHAPTER III
PROPORTIONS OF DORIC TEMPLES
CHAPTER IV
THE CELLA AND PRONAOS
CHAPTER V
HOW THE TEMPLE SHOULD FACE
CHAPTER VI
THE DOORWAYS OF TEMPLES
CHAPTER VII
TUSCAN TEMPLES
CHAPTER VIII
CIRCULAR TEMPLES AND OTHER VARIETIES
CHAPTER IX
ALTARS
BOOK V
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I
THE FORUM AND BASILICA
CHAPTER II
THE TREASURY, PRISON, AND SENATE HOUSE
CHAPTER III
THE THEATRE: ITS SITE, FOUNDATIONS AND ACOUSTICS
CHAPTER IV
HARMONICS
CHAPTER V
SOUNDING VESSELS IN THE THEATRE
CHAPTER VI
PLAN OF THE THEATRE
CHAPTER VII
GREEK THEATRES
CHAPTER VIII
ACOUSTICS OF THE SITE OF A THEATRE
CHAPTER IX
COLONNADES AND WALKS
CHAPTER X
BATHS
CHAPTER XI
THE PALAESTRA
CHAPTER XII
HARBOURS, BREAKWATERS, AND SHIPYARDS
BOOK VI
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I
ON CLIMATE AS DETERMINING THE STYLE OF THE HOUSE
CHAPTER II
SYMMETRY, AND MODIFICATIONS IN IT TO SUIT THE SITE
CHAPTER III
PROPORTIONS OF THE PRINCIPAL ROOMS
CHAPTER IV
THE PROPER EXPOSURES OF THE DIFFERENT ROOMS
CHAPTER V
HOW THE ROOMS SHOULD BE SUITED TO THE STATION OF THE OWNER
CHAPTER VI
THE FARMHOUSE
CHAPTER VII
THE GREEK HOUSE
CHAPTER VIII
ON FOUNDATIONS AND SUBSTRUCTURES
BOOK VII
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I
FLOORS
CHAPTER II
THE SLAKING OF LIME FOR STUCCO
CHAPTER III
VAULTINGS AND STUCCO WORK
CHAPTER IV
ON STUCCO WORK IN DAMP PLACES, AND ON THE DECORATION OF DINING ROOMS
CHAPTER V
THE DECADENCE OF FRESCO PAINTING
CHAPTER VI
MARBLE FOR USE IN STUCCO
CHAPTER VII
NATURAL COLOURS
CHAPTER VIII
CINNABAR AND QUICKSILVER
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
ARTIFICIAL COLOURS. BLACK
CHAPTER XI
BLUE. BURNT OCHRE
CHAPTER XII
WHITE LEAD, VERDIGRIS, AND ARTIFICIAL SANDARACH
CHAPTER XIII
PURPLE
CHAPTER XIV
SUBSTITUTES FOR PURPLE, YELLOW OCHRE, MALACHITE GREEN, AND INDIGO
BOOK VIII
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I
HOW TO FIND WATER
CHAPTER II
RAINWATER
CHAPTER III
VARIOUS PROPERTIES OF DIFFERENT WATERS
CHAPTER IV
TESTS OF GOOD WATER
CHAPTER V
LEVELLING AND LEVELLING INSTRUMENTS
CHAPTER VI
AQUEDUCTS, WELLS, AND CISTERNS
BOOK IX
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I
THE ZODIAC AND THE PLANETS
CHAPTER II
THE PHASES OF THE MOON
CHAPTER III
THE COURSE OF THE SUN THROUGH THE TWELVE SIGNS
CHAPTER IV
THE NORTHERN CONSTELLATIONS
CHAPTER V
THE SOUTHERN CONSTELLATIONS
CHAPTER VI
ASTROLOGY AND WEATHER PROGNOSTICS
CHAPTER VII
THE ANALEMMA AND ITS APPLICATIONS
CHAPTER VIII
SUNDIALS AND WATER CLOCKS
BOOK X
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I
MACHINES AND IMPLEMENTS
CHAPTER II
HOISTING MACHINES
CHAPTER III
THE ELEMENTS OF MOTION
CHAPTER IV
ENGINES FOR RAISING WATER
CHAPTER V
WATER WHEELS AND WATER MILLS
CHAPTER VI
THE WATER SCREW
CHAPTER VII
THE PUMP OF CTESIBIUS
CHAPTER VIII
THE WATER ORGAN
CHAPTER IX
THE HODOMETER
CHAPTER X
CATAPULTS OR SCORPIONES
CHAPTER XI
BALLISTAE
CHAPTER XII
THE STRINGING AND TUNING OF CATAPULTS
CHAPTER XIII
SIEGE MACHINES
CHAPTER XIV
THE TORTOISE
CHAPTER XV
HEGETOR'S TORTOISE
CHAPTER XVI
MEASURES OF DEFENCE
SCAMILLI IMPARES (Book III, ch. 4)
FOOTNOTES: