Ten Books on Architecture

by Vitruvius, Ingrid D. Rowland (Editor), Thomas Noble Howe (Editor)

For the first time in more than half a century, Vitruvius' Ten Books on Architecture is being published in English. The only full treatise on architecture and its related arts to survive from classical antiquity, the Architecture libri decem (Ten Books on Architecture) is the single most important work of architectural history in the Western world, having shaped architecture and the image of the architect from the Renaissance to the present. Demonstrating the range of Vitruvius' style, this new edition includes examples from archaeological sites discovered since World War II and not previously published in English language translations. Rowland's new translation and Howe's critical commentary and illustrations provide a new image of Vitruvius, who emerges as an inventive and creative thinker, rather than the normative summarizer, as he was characterized in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Ingrid D. Rowland is an associate professor of Art History at the University of Chicago. Thomas Noble Howe is a professor in the Department of Art at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction, Art, History, Classics, Design, Reference

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 16

About the author

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (born c. 80–70 BC, died after c. 15 BC) was a Roman military engineer under Julius Ceasar, generally attributed to be the sole author of the only extant major work from classical antiquity on architecture, De architectura, better known in English as The Ten Books on Architecture.

Reviews

[John McCreery · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my students recommended Vitruvius to me 22 years ago. I have kept it by my side ever since. Ancient man is as astute and brilliant as any living today. A must read for anyone traveling to Italy, Greece, anywhere touched by the Roman empire. "....no work can be done without honesty...." and his description of the meaning of significance and that which gives it is grounding for anyone on a journey of making.

[زاهي رستم · Rating 5 out of 5]

من الرائع أن نتعرف على أقدم الكتب المعمارية.. والتي ينبغي لكل معماري الإطلاع عليه.. وعلينا الاعتراف أن فيتروفيوس ليس فقط معماري، بل هو معلم حيث قام بنقل معارفه المعمارية عبر كتبه العشرة.. والتي أنتجت على الأقل الاتسان الفيتروفي (الانسان ذو المقاييس الذهبية).. على يد ليوناردو دافنشي..

[Czarny Pies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vitruvius
The Ten Books of Architecture by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio ( 80–15 BC) is the first complete treatise that we have on architecture. Reading it is an unmitigated source of joy for someone who has an amateur's interest in architecture or Roman history. People who have simply visited sites Roman buildings (Timgad, Rome, Nimes, or Pompeii) will also take a great pleasure in Vitruvius work as it explains so what of what one has seen at these places.
Little is known about Vitruvius life except that he served in a number of Caesar's campaign and had the reputation of being an outstanding builder of siege engines. In his Ten Books of Architecture, Vitruvius gives a stunning overview of the state of Roman's building technology, aesthetic values and scientific knowledge. He discusses Pythagorean geometry and aesthetic conventions relating to proportions. He carefully explains musical intervals and how their qualities determine how a theatre should be constructed to ensure maximum carrying distance and clarity of sound. He explains how to build walls, forts and breakwaters. He describes how bricks should be made and dried. He explains how to mix stucco and what time of year trees should be cut. He explains how to make a sundial. He makes a elaborate descriptions of how to build hoisting machinery and military catapults. By the time, one has finished the book, one has learned a great deal about how the Romans created their cities, buildings, roads and bridges.
Above all Vitruvius is adamant first priority of the architect should be people's health. He stresses that all times the architect or city planner must design so as to take advantage of sun and wind exposures for the purposes of heating, cooling and ventilation. Cities must be built in dry areas or marshes must be drained to minimize the incidence of diseases. When the architect designs in accordance with the natural environment buildings will last longer and be more comfortable to live in. Ignoring the natural environment means that stucco will crack, foundations will shift, books will become mildewed and the health of the occupants will suffer.
The Ten Books of Architecture is a book with too many charms to be listed. For anyone somewhat familiar with the history of architecture, this book will be an utter delight.

[Newman · Rating 3 out of 5]

my oxford classical dictionary gave me the heart to look in the pages of vitruvius saying it was a book intended not for architects but for those who wish to understand architecture. i would say, though, that vitruvius seems to be more than just an architect but an engineer as well as he discusses city planning, fortification and the constuction of siege machines. the parts on wall stuccos and painting (including information on how to obtain certain colors and from what sources they come) as well as the scattered anecdotes, medical theories (humours and such), and philosophical discussions. not only is how to make good bricks in the book, but why some bricks fail according to their internal humours. i would have liked to attempt this in the original latin, but the central library was lacking, but it is said his style is plain and prosaic (even crude, in places), so maybe i didn't miss much. anyway, i feel that i've gained a better appreciation for both the practicalities and aesthetics of classical architecture and her palladian and neoclassical children. it's made me want to do some building of my own, but the back yard is sadly lacking in both space and pitsand (an essential, m. vitruvius assures me), so my temple of minerva victrix in the ionian style (how attic! what will cato say?) will have to wait.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book no less than four times (only twice were required). Vitruvius clearly articulates everything from the uses of different Classical orders to how to lay out a city to how to make catapults and water screws. Fascinating and entertaining.

(I also have a soft spot for it because it's the book I was reading when I met my fiance. I gave him my only copy for our first Valentine's Day, but I never would have done so if I thought I would actually have to part with it.)

[Red · Rating 3 out of 5]

We haven't learned so much since then

[Suvama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una mezcla de melancolía, dulzura, filosofía y humor."

[Courtney Albertini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vitruvius’s Ten Books on Architecture is the first ever written treatise on architecture, written for Caesar Augustus in the first century BC. The book reads more like a detailed instruction manual. However, the introductions to each book I found amusing considering how much architecture/the architect has changed since ancient Roman times. Overall, I think it is an essential read for all those practicing or studying architecture and/or city planning. It outlines some of the very fundamental principles of design and engineering including symmetry, harmony, proportion, building types, technology and climatic design, which are still relevant today (even more so). There is a lot to learn about Roman history - how the people lived, the prevailing beliefs, and how they created their cities and civilisation. The book became the foundation of architectural theory for centuries and I can say that it is still mentioned in architecture schools today.

[عُلا · Rating 5 out of 5]

حلو مع انو في أشياء ما فهمتها لسا عم دور عليها....
اذا تخرج المعماري برتبة فتروفية ....يعني انه معماري ....:)

[Adam Marischuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have ever wondered about the classical building techniques including sand, brick, stone, concrete, wind, temples, pillars, sundials, pillars, temples, more pillars, more temples, building orientation, constellations, baths, theatres, stucco, marble, water, water screws, types of pillars, types of temples and more floors...this is the book for your sick mind.

Vitruvius' name will forever be linked to Leonardo da Vinci's sketch, and the impact his technical writings had on the Renaissance Great are evident throughout Vitruvius' ten books. Everywhere there are proportions and proportions are everywhere.

That said...

In the preface Professor Howard noted that Professor Morgan, the translator, described the work of translation to "not merely reproduce the substance of a book, but should also give as clear a picture as possible of the original, of its author, and the workings of his mind....[the translation] deliberately avoids any attempt to treat the language of Vitruvius as though it were Ciceronian, or to give a false impression of conspicuous literary merit..." (v.) Mission accomplished. One does not trudge though the ten books and leave with the impression that one has encountered anything other that the technical writings of an architect hell-bent on preserving his technical skill while trying to spice the books up by sucking up to his patron(s), his audience and by name-dropping as much as possible.

At least each book begins with something approaching an introduction and that is where the vast majority of interesting facts are contained. It is also where the most insight into classical life and thought is contained. The remainder of most chapters is a set-by-step approach at describing the techniques for building in the classical style, especially the concept of proportion...proportion...proportion.

[Henrik Haapala · Rating 5 out of 5]

2021-08-23
Update

Brilliant book, brilliant author.
Even with some dated material this book (10 books on architecture by Vitruvius) shows humility, great skill and wisdom. In other words it points the reader towards learning more and not to be arrogant. It is a big step in the history of ideas. Another point is that Vitruvius shows how important it is to leave written works and to learn from others. Learning from the wisest and most knowledgeable people. We are fortunate that brilliant people wrote down their ideas instead of keeping them to themselves. Indeed - “infinite gratitude”:

Written form:
“Our ancestors established the intelligent and useful practice of transmitting their thoughts to future generations in the form of bodies of notes so they would not be lost but, growing generation by generation once they had been published as books, they would gradually arrive at the highest level of scientific development in the course of time. So for this we owe them no half-hearted thanks but infinite gratitude, because they did not jealousy pass over these matters in silence but took great care to hand on to posterity their insights of all kinds in written form.”

Education:
“All the gifts which fortune bestows she can easily take away; but education, when combined with intelligence, never fails, but abides steadily on to the very end of life.”

“I think that men have no right to profess themselves architects hastily, without having climbed from boyhood the steps of these studies and thus, nursed by the knowledge of many arts and sciences, having reached the heights of the holy ground of architecture.”

Architects:
“Architects should be educated, skillful with the pencil, instructed in geometry, know much history, have followed the philosophers with attention, understand music, have some knowledge of medicine, know the opinions of the jurists, and be acquainted with astronomy and the theory of the heavens”

/Vitruvius Pollio

[Bane Cronotse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mimarlıkla ve hatta mühendislikle ilgili yazılmış ilk kitap olarak biliniyor. MÖ 1. yy da yazıldığı için zamanının yapım teknikleri, kent planlaması, mimarisi, materyalleri, makineleri, saatleriyle ilgili hayli geniş ve detaylı bilgiler veriyor. Bu açıdan meraklı olanlara tavsiye ediyorum. Bol bol Platon'a, Büyük İskender'e, ve o dönemin münevverlerine, o dönemlerde yaşanılmış olaylara gönderme içeriyor. Birden kendinizi Apollo Tapınağının yapılış hikayesi içerisinde bulabiliyorsunuz. Ayrıca o günkü bilimin hangi noktalarda olduğunu çok iyi şekilde gözlerinizin önüne seriyor. Bu açıdan da ayrıca tavsiye ederim. Ama saf bilgi yüklü bir kitap olduğu için meraklısına tavsiye ederim.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huh-hei! Oli taas vaihteeksi mukava lukea antiikin kirjallisuutta. Roomalaisia gubbeja olen lukenut vähemmän. Vitruvius kirjoitti kirjansa noin 20 -luvulla eaa. Arkkitehtuurin lisäksi luonnontieteitä ja vähään aikaan huikemmat kuvamateriaalit kirjan mukana nimittäin sivutolkulla arkkitehtuuripiirrustuksia, kojepiirrustuksia, pohjapiirroksia ja sen sellaisia. Jeah!

Kirjoitin lukukokemuksesta myös blogiin: kosminenk.wordpress.com

[Carolina Búho · Rating 2 out of 5]

Le pongo 2 estrellas porque este libro me aburrió muchísimo, no porque no sea bueno, sino porque es demasiado técnico y a mí no me interesa la arquitectura :c
Pero las partes en que Vitruvio contaba anécdotas y explicaba cosas generales me gustaron y divirtieron mucho.

Sobre la edición que yo leí (trad. Agustín Blánquez): hay varios errores tipográficos, no entendí algunas ~traducciones~ de nombres, y no tengo idea de por qué hay tantos futuros subjuntivos cuando we all know que el futuro subjuntivo NO existe en latín.

[Alexander Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I preface my remarks by noting that I am not an architect nor am I at all well versed in architecture. I read the book mostly to learn about daily life, how houses were made, and what kind of machines the ancients had. I found his little side stories to b some of the most interesting parts of the book. I skimmed through some of the more detailed points on architecture, but I still learned a fair deal about various building materials, how to lay out a city, and properties of various types of trees.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

In his architecture, Bauhaus was primarily concerned with expressing his own artistic sparkliness. Vitruvius, on the other hand, was primarily interested in designing useful buildings according to universal laws of proportion and symmetry. Guess which one I like more?

[Katri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Holy hell that was boring. I know I'm *supposed* to give this a higher rating, but I can't. I'm sure there is some sort of value in it (other than just being an important historical text), but it was not exciting to read. It's probably how someone a century from now would feel reading an appliance instruction manual from our time period.

[Omar Sabillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una visión de los principios arquitectónicos, es decir, es una de las visiones de la antigüedad, que van dando forma a la teoria de la arquitectura, básico para todo el que se apasione por crear orden, belleza y funcionalidad al entorno humano.

[Lauryn Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming soon hopefully

[Matteo Ponzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank god, now I know whether I should use doric or corinthian columns in my temple to Juno.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vitruvius’ book is often included on the must-read shelves of architects – and rightly so. Not the easiest of reads, I have (skim) read it multiple times over the years, and each time have garnered something new from the reading. This review relates to my most recent (full) reading in preparation for a thesis on metaphorical architecture.

In Book II Chapter 1, Vitruvius outlines the “origin of buildings” – and in doing so, seemingly ties it to the simultaneous development of spoken language. In ‘ancient times’ he says, “men were born like wild animals in the forests, caves and woods, spent their lives feeding on fodder […] sounds with many different meanings were emitted when they uttered.” These ‘first groups’ began to build, Vitruvius says, by digging holes and seeking refuge in mud and branches woven to imitate the swallow’s nest. Over time, he says, “by observing each other’s shelters and incorporating the innovations of theirs in their own thinking about them, they built better kinds of huts day by day” and, apparently at the same time, “they began to talk in a haphazard way and so generated a common language.” In other words, as construction evolved from primitive shelter to vernacular architecture, so too language evolved, also through emulation, from ‘haphazard utterances’ to ‘common language.’ Although presented as assumed-knowledge or hear-say, Vitruvius’ notion of collective improving is a fascinating insight that assists my thesis tremendously.

Another aspect he writes of which is also of assistance, is the subject of an architect’s education. Using almost identical language to the semiologists (Sausurre, Barthes, Baudrillard, Eco and so on ) he says; “all fields, and especially architecture, comprise two aspects: that which is signified and that which signifies it. […] Therefore it is evident that a man who wants to proclaim himself an architect must be proficient with regards to both aspects.” Here, he says, there is never too much that an architect can learn including philosophy, astrology, history and science, literature and drawing. Moreover, as ‘unbelievable’ as it might seem to lay people, the ability to “retain such a large number of disciplines” in the architect’s intellect is possible because of their ‘complimentary relationships’ – “all disciplines are connected with, and feed into, each other […] For a general education is like a single body composed of these different limbs.” [This interconnectedness of information prefigures modern metaphor studies which tend towards inter-disciplinary investigations.]

Other important themes that underlie several sections of Vitruvius’ books, are the notions of ‘optics,’ ‘imitation,’ ‘reality’ and ‘truth.’ Mostly Vitruvius relates optics to the proportions of columns and their intercolumniation, how buildings look up close and from afar, as well as the ways in which “our sense of vision does not seem to produce reliable results, and the mind is often misled by it to arrive at faulty conclusions” - “what is real may seem false and some things may turn out to be different from how they appear to the eyes.” Whilst he praises ‘proper’ [i.e. honest] painted representations of ‘reality’ (examples include faux-columns and frescoes of vegetation and the battle of Troy), as well as optical adjustments [i.e. fudging] used to make columns look straight and platforms look flat, he disdains ‘decadent painting’ [i.e. cheating] that creates ‘depraved’ ‘monstrosities’ which invent a non-reality (he gives the examples of reeds supporting rooves and half-human-half-animal-creatures). He seems genuinely aghast by the current “minds obscured by faulty taste” which mean that “when people see these falsities they do not criticise them but find them delightful, ignoring the problem of whether any of them can exist or not.” For Vitruvius, architecture is bound to reality which in turn is bound to truth and rationality. He writes that the ancients recognised that “what is impossible in reality could not be based on sound principles” so their buildings, by imitating reality, had “a precise sense of propriety and […therefore…] the force of truth.” [It calls to mind the debates between Bernard of Clairvaux and his suspicion of the ‘monstrosities’ of Abbot Suger’s Gothic sculptures, Loos’ call of ‘crime’ against decoration over logic and austerity, as well as Plato’s suspicion of art as mimesis that gradually moves us further from reality and truth.]

The most obvious, and oft-quoted, section on the metaphoricity of architecture is the relationship between building-dimension and human-dimensions, extrapolated to make the three orders of ancient columns. Doric columns, he says, were designed for the temples of gods and “exhibit the proportions, strength and grace of the male body in buildings” and look “naked, undecorated and virile.” Ionic columns on the other hand, were originally designed for the temple of a goddess and therefore required refinement, “adapting them to feminine gracefulness,” with curled tops to mimic hair, and fluted trunks to match the folds of a dress. The third order is the most inventive of all, “called Corinthian, [it] imitates the elegance of a virgin, because virgins, who are endowed with more graceful limbs because of their tender age, achieve more elegant effects in their ornament.” Of the three orders, its origin story is the most elaborate, and involves the death of a virgin of marriageable-age whose mistress places her favourite cups in a basket upon her tomb. Over time, acanthus leaves grew in spiral volutes upon the basket and cups, and when an Athenian sculptor happened by he was “delighted by the style and the novelty of the form” and imitated in his columns at Corinth - and thus a new style was born from death.

Another ‘back-story’ Vitruvius supplies is for Caryatids. In this instance I was extremely taken aback. I had always looked upon the stone columns, shaped as women, as being indicative of goddesses; reliable, stoic, strong, capable women, placed there to willingly support the weight of the world (and the lintel) on their heads. If Vitruvius is to be believed, the opposite is in fact true, and the women are captured Carian’s (who had sided with the Persians against the Greeks), condemned to be stationed in stone in perpetuity, as “eternal examples of slavery crushed by appalling humiliation […] to pay penalty for the whole city.” [A quick search of the internet suggests he too may have got it wrong, but what this double-bind (his and mine) highlights is the ambiguous nature of meaning in architecture, and the risk of incorrect connotation, inference, construal, misappropriation and so on.]

To finish, Vitruvius thanked his predecessors for their ‘intelligent and useful practice’ of recording their ideas in books for future generations – and for this – we can praise Vitruvius, as he does his predecessors, with “no half-hearted thanks but infinite gratitude.”

[Ricardo Sérgio Alencar Tavares]

Único texto sobre arquitetura datado da Antiguidade clássica que se conservou até os dias de hoje, o tratado De architectura de Vitrúvio, escrito em 27 a.C. e supostamente dedicado ao imperador Augusto, tornou-se referência já durante a Antiguidade e, séculos mais tarde, redescoberto numa abadia italiana, viria a influenciar as concepções estéticas renascentistas. Nas dez partes que compõem a obra, trata-se de arquitetura, planejamento urbano, ordens gregas, técnica e materiais de construção; identificam-se vários edifícios públicos e particulares, religiosos e laicos; são descritos mecanismos de aplicação civil e militar, como relógios e máquinas hidráulicas. No entanto, o vigor do tratado está na concepção vitruviana de arquitetura como imitação da natureza; na arte de construir com um senso de proporção que leva em conta a obra de arte suprema: o corpo humano; e na definição das três qualidades essenciais de uma estrutura: solidez, utilidade e beleza. A edição do Tratado de arquitetura que a Martins Fontes – selo Martins apresenta ao público brasileiro foi realizada a partir do original latino pelo historiador português M. Justino Maciel e inclui inúmeras notas que ajudam o leitor a entender esse genuíno monumento da cultura clássica.

[Private Account · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the sections of this book I was interested in and skimmed the rest. Is incredible how much they knew back then, incredible how detailed and location-specific everything was. We are such idiots today, not paying attention at all when we build to the details the ancients paid attention to. The beauty if a city, how nice it is to live there, it's all in these crazy little details, knowing what directions the yearly winds blow and building to block them, building with the right materials for the climate, believing that beauty is both objective and obtainable - oh to be surrounded by architects that build for beauty!

[Pramod Pant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two millennia old, and still highly interesting for people like me who are not architects. I find this book of less than two hundred pages to be a fabulous endeavour.

For architects too, enough tidbits are there to acquire a strong - and essential- foundation upon which to build their modern buildings. I have read modern books on architecture and this one is no less in conception and beauty. The materials have changed, technology comes in handy. But for the rest, you have good company in Vitruvius.

Romans and Greeks did build great buildings, didn’t they ? :)

[Dvine · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Book I, you learn some of the fundamentals of Architecture, and for example, why to use the Dorian order for temples of Mars and Corinthian for temples of Venus.
Also, soothsaying with animal livers wasn't all just superstition, but bad omen could mean the soil was polluted so best no building, digging for water pits, growing crops, etc. there.
Book II covers building materials, stone, lime, quarries, pozzolan, concrete, timber, ...
Again it has funny anecdotes as a witness account of the thought processes and life in antiquity. Like how Vitruvius rationally explains how it wasn't the superstition of mysterious water properties that turned rough mountain barbarians 'gay' but it was the charm of the Greek civilization.
Or how you should fell trees in winter because wearing fruit is weakening wood, like how a pregnant slave is weaker than a slave without childbearing.
Book III, boring but detailed instructions on the proportions and building of Ionic temples.
Book IV A quick introduction to the mythical origins of the three Greek orders, adding a Roman fourth order, the Tuscan order, followed by more temple design and building instructions.
Book V deals with the public places in cities of antiquity, senate house, baths, harbors, prison, theatre, ...
Ancient Greek music theory is used to explain the acoustics for building and designing theatres, which is possibly even more convoluted and confusing than modern music theory, interesting maybe but you are warned :D
Book VI deals with the design and building of private houses.
It has a funny section on climate, how different climates call for different building styles and then goes on a racist ramble comparing people from different climates according to the humidity in their bodies as a function of the heat in their climate. Even comparing the pitch of their voices with Greek notes produced by filling clay cups with water.
Book VII Vitruvius sounds like old man whining on how new stucco paintings use too many bright and expensive colors and how everything was better in the past when the decorations and paintings were more realistic.
2k yrs ago rants on bright colors or today against millennials & smartphones, old geezers will always be youth bashing afraid of their own mortality when they realize life goes on without them or their bs values.
Book VIII deals with water.
Examples of springs and streams, palatability, toxicity, bitterness, acidity, on choosing lead or clay pipes, ...
Book IX describes ancient methods of telling the passing of time, first from the heavens, Sun, Moon, planets, constellations and then man-made instruments, water clocks, ...
Book X covers machines, all manner of mechanical wooden constructions like hoisting machines, ballistae, water mills, water screws, battering rams, ...

[Steven "Steve" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an easy read, but overall a rewarding one. Although I found myself skimming the more technical parts, for the most part this book was rather interesting. Given that Vitruvius is the only author on Architecture to survive from antiquity, he is our best and only source on the subject. He does touch on far more than what we would consider architecture, such as choosing sites for building cities, the effects of winds and building placement on health, materials used in construction and particularly in flooring, and finding quality sources of water. He also goes into astronomy, time keeping via sundials and water clocks, different machines up to and including a water organ, a host of devices for moving objects and basic engineering, as well as various military siege weapons which were his forte having served with Caesar in the Gallic Wars. The Penguin Classics version includes an excellent introduction, copious notes, actual Greek words as they appeared in the original (which makes the year I spent trying to learn Ancient Greek all the more worth it), as well as multiple illustrations from a renaissance translation that make the text easier to follow, mostly.

I can’t believe I wrote this much of a review for this book. I guess having invested so much time reading it I feel the need to share my findings. Overall, I do not recommend reading this book unless you are really into the idea of having read it, like I was.

[O'Neal Sadler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is more than just one architect's opinion on architecture. It's a philosopher's close examination of Man and Nature. For those who haven't read it, this is one of the most influential texts on architecture ever written. Famous for his dictum that buildings should have firmitas, utilitas, and venustas ("strength", "utility", and "beauty"), Vitruvius crafted a theory of construction that was surprisingly fascinating to read. That's probably due in part to the translation, but also because how tenderly he discusses every detail of his various subjects, of which there are many touched upon.

From the proper proportions for temple staircases to advice on how to paint a wall, Vitruvius has opinions on just about every aspect of building maintenance and construction. So, one could say he was 1/2 Bob Villa and 1/2 Frank Lloyd Wright.

I cannot imagine any modern architect so masterfully connecting architecture with Nature + Man + History the way Vitruvius does. His Spinozian outlook predates Spinoza. And his secular materialism predates Marx. But he is far from an ideologue. He's an intellectual who views building as much an art as a science, developed from the imagination intrinsic to our primitive need not only for comfort but for beauty. And for Vitruvius a building is but an outgrowth of the Earth herself, slowly morphing into a monument to memory and place.

Five Stars, all the way!

[Fred Collman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a real grind. Undeniably a very important work, one that has greatly influenced the course of architecture over the last 2000 years, but doesn't exactly make for an enjoyable read.

In hindsight, I probably should have given up during Book IV, in which Vitruvius prescribes in painstaking detail the exact measurements for preparing columns, architraves, and the other elements of temples, depending on the desired size and style.

The text is littered with a series of bizarre tangential anecdotes about Greek and Roman history, which seem to serve no other purpose than to make the author appear more knowledgeable.

Yet somehow, I did find myself entertained by his hilariously inconsistent "science". He explains levers and pulleys with the same conviction as the "fact" that the level of moisture in the air causes people from Southern climates to be more intelligent than those from Northern nations.

The whole work is probably best summarised by this quote from Book IX, where he attempts to explain that the Sun does not radiate heat equally in all directions:
"If then, fact and reason and the evidence of an ancient poet point to this explanation, I do not see why we should decide otherwise than as I have written above on this subject".

[Pixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My copy was a library copy which wasn't listed on this website; great stuff so long as you are into architecture especially Roman architecture-- something I have always wanted to take a look at; the book is officially 'De architectura, libri decem' aka 'The Ten Books on Architecture' written by a 1st century BC Roman, about whom very little is known other than what he reveals as his knowledge concerning the whole gamut of roman buildings, their methods of construction, materials, military equipment, musical instruments, etc. This translated version by Professor Morgan notes some missing parts in the text but does not seem to intrude on the original. Of note, was that Marcus Polio Vitruvius (most likely his full name) was aware of the dangers of lead piping & recommends clay & clay linings for any waterworks even then (mid-first century BC); he also takes a very comprehensive & eco-conscious view of city planning, allowing for shade, wind directions, and general siting factors including soil types & rocks. The architect/engineers of the day also seem to have borrowed heavily from the Greeks & then adapted & improved methods & know how for their own Roman uses. I'll probably re-read this book as I am sure I missed a few key points.

[Rick Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vitruvius — Roman Engineer, Architect. He gives thorough detail of how Romans built their houses. He’s writing the book to Caeser. He starts by sharing how Architects need a wide variety of knowledge from music, astronomy, geometry, history. We don’t learn astronomy these days. But I suspect it had something to do with Astrology or signs. He boils down the principles of Architecture to Order, Arrangement, Eurythmy [ systematic movement of parts in reciting poetry or some literature ] and Economy.

He goes to explain in detail about each of these. He uses the word, “forms of expression.” He would say, forms of expression of arrangement are ground-plan, elevation, perspective. I like how he used this word. Anyway — next he goes to explain; Departments of Architecture, Materials, Temples, Forums, Houses, Floor, How to Find Water, Astrology, and Machines. It’s interesting to connect music with architecture, he gives a detailed explanation of how a theatre is connected to each rhythm of the music.

I was curious about how to find Water. I really wonder if his method works. I'm not sure. Overall, a good introduction to Architectural Principles.

Deus Vult,
Gottfried