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In: History - Ancient·Architecture
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This work is an abridged version of Vitruvius Pollio’s ten‑book treatise on architecture, reorganised into two main sections. The opening passages lay out a systematic catalogue of architectural elements, pillars, pediments, orders, and the various public and private building types, followed by a concise introduction that explains the editor’s intent to distill Vitruvius’s extensive material into a more focused guide. The author begins by distinguishing “positive” and “arbitrary” beauty, then proceeds through the five classical orders, the common components shared by them, and the specific rules for temples, fortresses, theatres, baths, and other structures. The preface frames the abridgment as a practical handbook for modern readers, promising a clear presentation of the ancient principles that underlie contemporary design.
Written in a formal, eighteenth‑century scholarly style, the text reflects the Latin‑influenced prose of early modern architectural manuals. Its dense, clause‑heavy sentences and frequent use of technical terms will appeal to students of architectural history, classicists, and practitioners who enjoy tracing the lineage of proportion and ornament from Vitruvius through Renaissance and neoclassical thought. Readers seeking a methodical, reference‑oriented exposition of classical building theory will find this abridgment a valuable, if demanding, resource.
The opening · free to read
Chap. IV. Of the Beauty of Buildings.
Art. 1. In what the beauty of Buildings consists, 74.
Two sorts of beauty in Buildings; 1st, Positive, which consists in the Symmetry, Materials, and Performance, 75. 2d. Arbitrary, which is of two sorts; 1. Prudence, 2. Regularity; which consist in the proper providing against Inconveniences, and observing the Laws of Proportion, 76. The beauty is most seen in the proportion of these principal parts, viz. Pillars, Piedments, and Chambrantes, 78. From these things result two other, Gender and Order, 79.
Art. 2. Of the five Genders, or sorts of Fabricks, 80.
The five sorts are Pycnostyle, Systile, 80. Diastyle, Areostyle, Eustyle, 81. The Genders to be always agreable to the Orders of Architecture, 82.
Art. 3. Of the five Orders of Architecture, 84.
The distinction and difference in the several Orders; consists in the Strength and Ornament; Vitruvius speaks but of three Orders, 85.
Art. 4. Of things that are common to several Orders, 85.
There are seven things common to all Orders, viz. Steps, 85. Pedastals, 86. the diminution of Pillars, the Channelings of Pillars, which is of three sorts, 89. the Piedemont, 90. Cornices, and Acroteres, 93.
Art. 5. Of the Tuscane Order, 93.
The Tuscane Order consists in the Proportion of Columns, in which there are three parts, the Base, the Shaft, and the Capital, 94. Of Chambrantes; and of the Piedement, 95.
Art. 6. Of the Dorick Order, 96.
The Dorick Order consists in the proportion; of the Columns, which have been different at diverse times, and in diverse Works, 96, 97. The parts of the Column are the Shaft; the Base which it anciently wanted, but hath since borrowed from the Attic; the proportion of the Base, 97. and the Captial, 98. the Archiatrave, which hath two parts, the Platbands and the Gouttes, 98. the Frise, in which are the Triglyphs and the Metops, 98. the Proportion of them, 99. Of the Cornice, its proportion, 99.
Art. 7. Of the Ionick Order, 101.
The preportion of Pillars of this Order, 101. The Pillars set upon the Bases two ways, perpendicular, and not so, 101. Proportion of the Base, divided into its parts the Plinthus, the Thorus, the Scotia upper and lower, with the Astragals, 102. Of the Capital, its proportion and parts, 103. Of the Architrave, wherein to be considered, the proportion it must have to the Pedestals, and to the heighth of the Column, 105. to the breadth at the bottom, 106. and to the jetting of the Cymatium, 106. Of the Frise and Cornice, 107.
Art. 8. Of the Corinthian Order, 108.
This Order different from the Ionick in nothing but in the Capitals of Pillars, being otherwise composed of the Dorick and Ionick; the proportion of the Capital, 109. in which are to be consider'd its heighth, its breadth at the bottom, the Leafs, Stalks, the Volutes, and the Roses, 109. Of the Ornaments, 110.
Art. 9. Of the Compound Order, 110.
The Compound is not described by Vitruvius, it being a general Design, and borrows the parts of the Capital (which is the only distinction it has) from the Corinthian, Ionick, and Dorick Orders, 111.
In Fortification four things are consider'd; the disposition of the Ramparts; the Figure of the whole place, 114. the building of the Walls; thickness, materials, and terrass; the figure and disposition of the Towers, 115, 116.
Art. 2. Of Temples, 116.
Temples divided in the Greek and Tuscan Fashion; of the Greek some were round, and some square; in the square Temples of the Greeks three things are to be considered; 1. the Parts, which are five, the Porch, the Posticum, 117. the Middle, the Portico, and the Gates, which were of three sorts, viz. Dorick, 118. Jonick, 120. and Attick, 120. 2. The Proportion, 121. and 3. The Aspect, in respect to the Heavens, 122. and to its own parts, which were different in Temples with Pillars, and those without Pillars; of Temples with Pillars there are eight sorts, 122, 123, 124. Round Temples were of two sorts, Monoptere, 125. Periptere, 126. Temples of the Tuscane Fashion, 126. The Ancients had fourteen sorts of Temples, 127.
Art. 3. Of publick Places, Basilica's, Theatres, Gates, Baths, and Academies, 127.
The Fabricks for publick Convenience were of six sorts, I. Market-places of the Greeks of the Romans, 128. their Proportions; II. Basilica's, their Proportions, Columns, Galleries, and Chalcediques, 128. III. Theatres composed of three parts; the Steps or Degrees which enclosed the Orchestra, 125. the Scene which had three parts, the Pulpit, the Proscenium, 130. and the Palascenium, 131. And the Walking-places, 131. IV. Gates, which were either natural or artificial, built three ways, 132. V. Baths, consisting of many Chambers, their Description, 133, 134. VI. Academies composed of three parts, the Peristyle, 134. the Xystile, 135. and the Stadium, 136.
Chap. II. Of Private Buildings.
Art. 1. Of the Courts of Houses, 137.
The Courts of Houses were of five sorts, four whereof were made with jettings out, or Pent-houses of four sorts. the Tuscan, 137. the Corinthian, the Tetrastyle, the Vaulted, 138. the fifth sort uncoverted, 138.
Art. 2. Of the Vestibulum or Entry, 139.
The proportion of the Vestibulum was taken three ways, for the length, breadth, and heighth, 139. Of the Alley in the middle, 140.
Art. 3. Of Halls, 140.
Three sorts of Halls, the Corinthian, the AEgyptian, and the Cyzican, 141.
Art. 4. Of the Distribution of the Apartments among the Ancients, 142.
The Distribution of the Apartments different among the Greeks and Romans; what the Difference was, 141.
Chap. III. Of things that equally appertain to Publick and Private Buildings.
Art. 1. Of Aqueducts, 143.
The manner the Ancients used to take the Level exactly, 143 The Water was brought by Aqueducts, or by Pipes of Lead, or Potters Work, 144.
Art. 2. Of Wells and Cisterns, 145.
The Precautions the Ancients used in digging their Wells, to discover bad Water, and in making their Cisterns, 145.
Art. 3. Of Machines for carrying and lifting up great Stones and Burthens, 146.
Machines for drawing Pillars, 147. Architraves, 147. for raising great Weights, three sorts; first, with a Handmill; second, with a Windlas, 147. third, with several Ropes, to be drawn by Mens Hands, 148.
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