The Ten Books on Architecture

Vitruvius Pollio

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• Publié par: nihaz
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 63
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 12 Mo

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Ten Books on Archite cture, by Vitruvius

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Title: Ten Books on Architecture

Author: Vitruvius

Release Date: December 31, 2006 [EBook #20239]

Language: English

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VITRUVIUS

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

CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS INDEX

PREFACE 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. The illustrations in the first six books are believed to be substantially in accord with the wishes of Professor Morgan. The suggestions for illustrations in the later books were incomplete, and did not indicate, in all cases, with sufficient definiteness to allow them to be executed, the changes from conventional plans and designs intended by the translator. It has, therefore, been decided to include in this part of the work only those illustrations which are known to have had the full approval of Professor Morgan. The one exception to this principle is the reproduction of a rough model of the Ram of Hegetor, constructed by me on the basis of the measurements given by Vitruvius and Athenaeus. It does not seem to me necessary or even advisable to enter into a long discussion as to the date of Vitruvius, which has been assigned to various periods from the time of Augustus to the early centuries of our era. Professor Morgan, in several articles in theHarvard Studies in Classical Philology, and in theProceedings of the American Academy, all of which have been reprinted in a volume ofAddresses and Essays1909), upheld the now generally accepted view that Vitruvius wrote in the time(New York, of Augustus, and furnished conclusive evidence that nothing in his language is inconsistent with this view. In revising the translation, I met with one bit of evidence for a date before the end of the reign of Nero which I have never seen adduced. In viii, 3, 21, the kingdom of Cottius is mentioned, the name depending, it is true, on an emendation, but one which has been universally accepted since it was first proposed in 1513. The kingdom of Cottius was made into a Roman province by Nero (cf. Suetonius, Nero, 18), and it is inconceivable that any Roman writer subsequently referred to it as a kingdom. It does seem necessary to add a few words about the literary merits of Vitruvius in this treatise, and about Professor Morgan's views as to the general principles to be followed in the translation. Vitruvius was not a great literary personage, ambitious as he was to appear in that character. As Professor Morgan has aptly said, "he has all the marks of one unused to composition, to whom writing is a painful task." In his hand the measuring-rod was a far mightier implement than the pen. His turgid and pompous rhetoric displays itself in the introductions to the different books, where his exaggerated effort to introduce some semblance of style into his commonplace lectures on the noble principles which should govern the conduct of the architect, or into the prosaic lists of architects and writers on architecture, is everywhere apparent. Even in the more technical portions of his work, a like conscious effort may be detected, and, at the same time, a lack of confidence in his ability to express himself in unmistakable language. He avoids periodic sentences, uses only the simpler subjunctive constructions, repeats the antecedent in relative clauses, and, not infrequently, adopts a formal language closely akin to that of specifications and contracts, the style with which he was, naturally, most familiar. He ends each book with a brief summary, almost a formula, somewhat like a sigh of relief, in which the reader unconsciously shares. At times his meaning is ambiguous, not because of grammatical faults, which are comparatively few and unimportant, but because, when he does attempt a periodic sentence, he becomes involved, and finds it difficult to extricate himself.

Some of these peculiarities and crudities of expression Professor Morgan purposely imitated, because of his conviction that a translation should 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 of the working of his mind. The translation is intended, then, to be faithful and exact, but it 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 in a work which is destitute of that quality. The translator had, however, the utmost confidence in the sincerity of Vitruvius and in the serious purpose of his treatise on architecture. To those who have liberally given their advice and suggestions in response to requests from Professor Morgan, it is impossible for me to make adequate acknowledgment. Their number is so great, and my knowledge of the indebtedness in individual cases is so small, that each must be content with the thought of the full and generous acknowledgment which he would have received had Professor Morgan himself written this preface. Personally I am under the greatest obligations to Professor H. L. Warren, who has freely given both assistance and criticism; to Professor G. L. Kittredge, who has read with me most of the proof; to the Syndics of the Harvard University Press, who have made possible the publication of the work; and to the members of the Visiting Committee of the Department of the Classics and the classmates of Professor Morgan, who have generously supplied the necessary funds for the illustrations. ALBERT A. HOWARD.

CONTENTS

BOOK I P REFACE 3 T HE E DUCATIONOFTHE A RCHITECT 5 T HE F UNDAMENTAL P RINCIPLESOF A RCHITECTURE 13 T HE D EPARTMENTSOF A RCHITECTURE 16 T HE S ITEOFA C ITY 17 T HE C ITY W ALLS 21 T HE D IRECTIONSOFTHE S TREETS ; WITH R EMARKSONTHE W INDS 24 T HE S ITESFOR P UBLIC B UILDINGS 31 BOOK II I NTRODUCTION 35 T HE O RIGINOFTHE D WELLING H OUSE 38 O NTHE P RIMORDIAL S UBSTANCEACCORDINGTOTHE P HYSICISTS 42 B RICK 42 S AND 44 L IME 45 P OZZOLANA 46 S TONE 49 M ETHODSOFBUILDING W ALLS 51 T IMBER 58 H IGHLANDAND L OWLAND F IR 64 BOOK III I NTRODUCTION 69 O N S YMMETRY : IN T EMPLESANDINTHE H UMAN B ODY 72 C LASSIFICATIONOF T EMPLES 75 T HE P ROPORTIONSOF I NTERCOLUMNIATIONSANDOF C OLUMNS 78 T HE F OUNDATIONSAND S UBSTRUCTURESOF T EMPLES 86 P ROPORTIONSOFTHE B ASE , C APITALS , AND E NTABLATUREINTHE I ONIC O RDER 90 BOOK IV I NTRODUCTION 101 T HE O RIGINSOFTHE T HREE O RDERS , ANDTHE P ROPORTIONSOFTHE C ORINTHIAN C APITAL 102 T HE O RNAMENTSOFTHE O RDERS 107 P ROPORTIONSOF D ORIC T EMPLES 109 T HE C ELLAAND P RONAOS 114

H OWTHE T EMPLESHOULDFACE T HE D OORWAYSOF T EMPLES T USCAN T EMPLES C IRCULAR T EMPLESAND O THER V ARIETIES A LTARS BOOK V I NTRODUCTION T HE F ORUMAND B ASILICA T HE T REASURY , P RISON , AND S ENATE H OUSE T HE T HEATRE : ITS S ITE , F OUNDATIONS , AND A COUSTICS H ARMONICS S OUNDING V ESSELSINTHE T HEATRE P LANOFTHE T HEATRE G REEK T HEATRES A COUSTICSOFTHE S ITEOFA T HEATRE C OLONNADESAND W ALKS B ATHS T HE P ALAESTRA H ARBOURS , B REAKWATERS , AND S HIPYARDS BOOK VI I NTRODUCTION O N C LIMATEASDETERMININGTHE S TYLEOFTHE H OUSE S YMMETRY , AND M ODIFICATIONSINITTOSUITTHE S ITE P ROPORTIONSOFTHE P RINCIPAL R OOMS T HE P ROPER E XPOSURESOFTHE D IFFERENT R OOMS H OWTHE R OOMSSHOULDBESUITEDTOTHE S TATIONOFTHE O WNER T HE F ARMHOUSE T HE G REEK H OUSE O N F OUNDATIONSAND S UBSTRUCTURES BOOK VII I NTRODUCTION F LOORS T HE S LAKINGOF L IMEFOR S TUCCO V AULTINGSAND S TUCCO W ORK O N S TUCCO W ORKIN D AMP P LACES , ANDONTHE D ECORATIONOF D INING R OOMS T HE D ECADENCEOF F RESCO P AINTING M ARBLEFORUSEIN S TUCCO N ATURAL C OLOURS C INNABARAND Q UICKSILVER C INNABAR (continued) A RTIFICIAL C OLOURS . B LACK B LUE . B URNT O CHRE W HITE L EAD , V ERDIGRIS , AND A RTIFICIAL S ANDARACH P URPLE S UBSTITUTESFOR P URPLE , Y ELLOW O CHRE , M ALACHITE G REEN , AND I NDIGO BOOK VIII I NTRODUCTION H OWTOFIND W ATER R AINWATER V ARIOUS P ROPERTIESOF D IFFERENT W ATERS T ESTSOF G OOD W ATER L EVELLINGAND L EVELLING I NSTRUMENTS A QUEDUCTS , W ELLS , AND C ISTERNS BOOK IX I NTRODUCTION T HE Z ODIACANDTHE P LANETS T HE P HASESOFTHE M OON T HE C OURSEOFTHE S UNTHROUGHTHE T WELVE S IGNS T HE N ORTHERN C ONSTELLATIONS T HE S OUTHERN C ONSTELLATIONS

116 117 120 122 125

129 131 137 137 139 143 146 151 153 154 157 159 162

167 170 174 176 180 181 183 185 189

195 202 204 205 208 210 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 219 220

225 227 229 232 242 242 244

251 257 262 264 265 267

T HE S OUTHERN C ONSTELLATIONS A STROLOGYAND W EATHER P ROGNOSTICS T HE A NALEMMAANDITS A PPLICATIONS S UNDIALSAND W ATER C LOCKS BOOK X I NTRODUCTION M ACHINESAND I MPLEMENTS H OISTING M ACHINES T HE E LEMENTSOF M OTION E NGINESFORRAISING W ATER W ATER W HEELSAND W ATER M ILLS T HE W ATER S CREW T HE P UMPOF C TESIBIUS T HE W ATER O RGAN T HE H ODOMETER C ATAPULTSOR S CORPIONES B ALLISTAE T HE S TRINGINGAND T UNINGOF C ATAPULTS S IEGE M ACHINES T HE T ORTOISE H EGETOR ' S T ORTOISE M EASURESOF D EFENCE N OTEON S CAMILLI I MPARES I NDEX

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

267 269 270 273

281 283 285 290 293 294 295 297 299 301 303 305 308 309 311 312 315 320 321

[Certain of the images may be viewed enlarged by clicking directly on the image. (Note of transcriber.)] C ARYATIDESFROM T REASURYOF C NIDIANS , D ELPHI C ARYATIDESOF E RECHTHEUM , A THENS C ARYATIDIN V ILLA A LBANI , R OME C ARYATIDES P ERSIANS C ONSTRUCTIONOF C ITY W ALLS T OWEROFTHE W INDS , A THENS D IAGRAMOFTHE W INDS D IAGRAMOF D IRECTIONSOF S TREETS V ITRUVIUS ' B RICK -B OND T RAVERTINE Q UARRIES , R OMAN C AMPAGNA E XAMPLEOF O PUS I NCERTUM , C IRCULAR T EMPLE , T IVOLI O PUS R ETICULATUM , T HERMAEOF H ADRIAN ' S V ILLA , T IVOLI E XAMPLEOF O PUS R ETICULATUM , D OORWAYOF S TOA P OECILE , H ADRIAN ' S V ILLA M AUSOLEUMAT H ALICARNASSUS , RESTORED C LASSIFICATIONOF T EMPLESACCORDINGTO A RRANGEMENTSOF C OLONNADES H YPAETHRAL T EMPLEOF V ITRUVIUSCOMPAREDWITH P ARTHENONAND T EMPLEOF A POLLONEAR M ILETUS C LASSIFICATIONOF T EMPLESACCORDINGTO I NTERCOLUMNIATION E USTYLE T EMPLEOF V ITRUVIUSCOMPAREDWITH T EMPLEOF T EOS V ITRUVIUS ' R ULESFOR D IAMETERAND H EIGHTOF C OLUMNSCOMPAREDWITH A CTUAL E XAMPLES D IMINUTIONOF C OLUMNSIN R ELATIONTO D IMENSIONSOF H EIGHT E NTASISOF C OLUMNS F RA G IOCONDO ' S I DEAOF "S CAMILLI I MPARES " I ONIC O RDERACCORDINGTO V ITRUVIUSCOMPAREDWITH O RDEROF M AUSOLEUMAT H ALICARNASSUS C OMPARISONOF I ONIC O RDERACCORDINGTO V ITRUVIUSWITH A CTUAL E XAMPLESANDWITH V IGNOLA ' S O RDER B ASILICAAT P OMPEII C ORINTHIAN C APITALOF V ITRUVIUSCOMPAREDWITH M ONUMENTS V ITRUVIUS ' D ORIC O RDERCOMPAREDWITH T EMPLEAT C ORIAND T HEATREOF M ARCELLUS V ITRUVIUS ' T EMPLE P LANCOMPAREDWITH A CTUAL E XAMPLES V ITRUVIUS ' R ULEFOR D OORWAYSCOMPAREDWITH T WO E XAMPLES T USCAN T EMPLEACCORDINGTO V ITRUVIUS C IRCULAR T EMPLE , T IVOLI

7 7 7 7 9 23 26 29 30 44 49 51 52 53 55 77 77 79 81 85 85 88 89 91

95 105 105 111 115 119 121 123

M AISON C ARRÉE , N ÎMES P LANOF T EMPLE , T IVOLI P LANOF T EMPLEOF V ESTA , R OME P LANOF C IRCULAR T EMPLEACCORDINGTO V ITRUVIUS F ORUM , T IMGAD F ORUM , P OMPEII P LANOF B ASILICA , P OMPEII V ITRUVIUS ' B ASILICA , F ANO R OMAN T HEATREACCORDINGTO V ITRUVIUS T HEATREAT A SPENDUS T HEATRE P ORTICOACCORDINGTO V ITRUVIUS T EPIDARIUMOF S TABIAN B ATHS , P OMPEII A PODYTERIUMFOR W OMEN , S TABIAN B ATHS , P OMPEII S TABIAN B ATHS , P OMPEII P ALAESTRA , O LYMPIA , AND G REEK P ALAESTRAACCORDINGTO V ITRUVIUS P LANSOF H OUSES , P OMPEII P LANOF H OUSEOF S ILVER W EDDING , P OMPEII P LANOFTYPICAL R OMAN H OUSE P ERISTYLEOF H OUSEOFTHE V ETTII , P OMPEII P LANOF H OUSEOFTHE V ETTII , P OMPEII P LANOF V ILLA R USTICA , NEAR P OMPEII P LANOF V ITRUVIUS ' G REEK H OUSE P LANOF G REEK H OUSE , D ELOS P LANOF G REEK H OUSEDISCOVEREDAT P ERGAMUM R ETAINING W ALLS C ONSTRUCTIONOFTHE A NALEMMA C ONSTRUCTIONOF W ATER S CREW W ATER S CREW H EGETOR ' S R AMAND T ORTOISE 1. From sixteenth century MS. 2. From model by A. A. Howard.

VITRUVIUS

BOOK I

PREFACE

123 123 123 124 131 133 134 135 147 149 152 157 157 158 161 176 177 178 179 179 183 186 187 188 191 271 295 296 312

1. While your divine intelligence and will, Imperator Caesar, were engaged in acquiring the right to command the world, and while your fellow citizens, when all their enemies had been laid low by your invincible valour, were glorying in your triumph and victory,—while all foreign nations were in subjection awaiting your beck and call, and the Roman people and senate, released from their alarm, were beginning to be guided by your most noble conceptions and policies, I hardly dared, in view of your serious employments, to publish my writings and long considered ideas on architecture, for fear of subjecting myself to your displeasure by an unseasonable interruption.

2. But when I saw that you were giving your attention not only to the welfare of society in general and to the establishment of public order, but also to the providing of public buildings intended for utilitarian purposes, so that not only should the State have been enriched with provinces by your means, but that the greatness of its power might likewise be attended with distinguished authority in its public buildings, I thought that I ought to take the first opportunity to lay before you my writings on this theme. For in the first place it was this subject which made me known to your father, to whom I was devoted on account of his great qualities. After the council of heaven gave him a place in the dwellings of immortal life and transferred your father's power to your hands, my devotion continuing unchanged as I remembered him inclined me to support you. And so with Marcus Aurelius, Publius Minidius, and Gnaeus Cornelius, I was ready to supply and repair ballistae, scorpiones, and other artillery, and I have

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