Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (born c. 80–70 BC, died after c. 15 BC) was a Roman writer, architect and engineer (possibly praefectus fabrum during military service or praefect architectus armamentarius of the apparitor status group), active in the 1st century BC. By his own description^[1] Vitruvius served as a Ballista (artilleryman), the third class of arms in the military offices. He likely served as chief of the ballista (senior officer of artillery) in charge of doctores ballistarum (artillery experts) and libratores who actually operated the machines. ^[2] Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... For other uses, see Architect (disambiguation). ... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Roman military engineering is a type of Roman engineering carried out by the Roman Army - almost exclusively by the Roman legions for the furthering of military objectives. ... The word prefect can refer to any of a number of types of official, including: in Latin, praefectus: a high-ranking military or civil official in the Roman Empire; the title now attaches to the heads of some departments of the Roman Curia, who are traditionally Cardinals, and if they... Apparitor, or apparator, (Latin for a servant of a public official, from apparere, to attend in public) was an attendant who executed the orders of a Roman magistrate. ... (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) The 1st century BC started on January 1, 100 BC and ended on December 31, 1 BC. An alternative name for this century is the last century BC. The AD/BC notation does not use a year zero. ...

Biography

Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci

Little is known about Vitruvius' life. His first name Marcus and his cognomen Pollio are uncertain. Cetius Faventinus speaks of "Vitruvius Polio aliique auctores" in his epitome; it is possible that the cognomen derives from this mention by Cetius, meaning Vitruvius, Polio, and others. Most inferences about his life are extracted from his only surviving work De Architectura, though he is mentioned by Pliny the Elder and Frontinus. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 441 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2258 × 3070 pixel, file size: 5. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 441 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2258 × 3070 pixel, file size: 5. ... Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man (1492). ... The cognomen (name known by in English) was originally the third name of a Roman in the Roman naming convention. ... Pollio was a Roman cognomen, and was used by: Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, the Roman architect Gaius Asinius Pollio, the historian and orator It should not be confused with the disease polio. ... De architectūra (Latin: On architecture) was a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus. ... Pliny the Elder: an imaginative 19th Century portrait. ... Sextus Julius Frontinus (c. ...

Born a free Roman citizen, by his own account Vitruvius served the Roman army alongside Marcus Antonius, Publius Minidius, and Gnaeus Cornelius, under Julius Caesar. Service likely included Hispania, Gaul, Aquitaine, and Pontus, due to descriptions of these foreign tribes building construction methods. As an army engineer he specialized in the construction of ballista and scorpio artillery war machines for sieges. In Hispania during Caesar's civil war the Siege of Massilia 49BC involved many siege tactics. Although Vitruvius mentions Massilia several times and the siege in Book X, like all other place descriptions given throughout De Architectura, he does not say he was present. In Gaul the decisive Battle of Alesia 52BC, the Battle of Gergovia 52BC, the siege of Avaricum 52BC, and the siege of Uxellodunum 51BC, all centered around sieges of large Gallic cities. During this same time period a Roman military officer Mamurra also served as praefectus fabrum in Hispania, Gaul and Pontus under Julius Caesar. Vitruvius has the recurrent theme of politics outweighing skill throughout the ten books of De Architectura, possibly in reference to Mamurra. In later years the emperor Augustus, through his sister Octavia Minor, sponsored Vitruvius, entitling him with a pension to guarantee financial independence. ^[3] The Roman army was a set of land-based military forces employed by the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and later Roman Empire as part of the Roman military. ... Bust of Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (Latin: M·ANTONIVS·M·F·M·N[1]) ( January 14 83 BC – August 1, 30 BC), known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. ... For other uses, see Julius Caesar (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Iberian Peninsula. ... Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... (Region flag) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Regional President Departments Dordogne Gironde Landes Lot-et-Garonne Pyrénées-Atlantiques Arrondissements 18 Cantons 235 Communes 2,296 Statistics Land area1 41,308 km² Population (Ranked 6th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ... Traditional rural Pontic house A man in traditional clothes from Trabzon, illustration Pontus is the name which was applied, in ancient times, to extensive tracts of country in the northeast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) bordering on the Euxine (Black Sea), which was often called simply Pontos (the main), by... The ballista (Latin, from Greek ballistÄ“s, from ballein to throw, plural ballistae) was a powerful ancient crossbow, although employing several loops of twisted skeins to power it, it used torsion (instead of a prod). ... Scorpio (Dart-thrower) was a Roman artillery invention in 50 BC and described by Vitruvius with the next major improvement being the Cheiroballista. ... For other uses, see Artillery (disambiguation). ... Roman siege engines were, for the most part, adapted from Hellenistic siege technology. ... A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition, often accompanied by an assault. ... Combatants Julius Caesar and supporters, the Populares faction, Roman senate, the Optimates faction, Commanders Julius Caesar Pompey†, Titus Labienus†, Metellus Scipio†, Cato the younger†, Gnaeus Pompeius† Sextus Pompeius The Roman civil war of 49 BC, sometimes called Caesars Civil War, is one of the last conflicts within the Roman... Siege and naval battle at Massilia in Caesars civil war. ... A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition, often accompanied by an assault. ... Combatants Roman Republic Gallic Tribes Commanders Julius Caesar Vercingetorix Commius Strength ~30,000-60,000, 12 Roman legions and auxiliaries ~330,000 some 80,000 besieged ~250,000 relief forces Casualties 12,800 40,000-250,000 [] The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia took place in September 52... The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC at Gergovia (modern Gergovie), the chief town of the Arverni, situated on a hill in Auvergne, about eight miles from the Puy de Dome, France. ... Avaricum was a city in ancient Gaul, on the site of what is now the city of Bourges. ... Uxellodunum was a Gallic oppidum located near modern-day Puy DIssolu in France. ... Mamurra ( 1st century BC) was a Roman military officer who served under Julius Caesar. ... For other persons named Octavian, see Octavian (disambiguation). ... Octavia Minor (69 - 11 BC), also known as Octavia the Younger or simply Octavia, was the sister of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, and half sister of Octavia Thurina Major. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Mainly known for his writings, Vitruvius was himself an architect, in Roman times a title including the modern fields of architecture, construction management, construction engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, materials engineering ^[4], mechanical engineering, military engineering and urban planning. Frontinus mentions him in connection with the standard sizes of pipes.^[5] The only building, however, that we know Vitruvius to have worked on is, as he himself tells us,^[6] a basilica completed in 19 BC, today know as "Basilica di Fano" ^[7], at Fanum Fortunae, now the modern town of Fano. The early Christian practice of converting Roman basilica (public buildings) into cathedrals implies the basilica may be incorporated into the cathedral located in Fano. The basilica has disappeared so completely that its very site is a matter of conjecture. ^[8] This article is about building architecture. ... Construction Management refers either to the study and practice of the managerial and technological aspects of the construction industry (including construction, construction science, construction management, and construction technology), or to a business model where one party to a construction contract serves as a construction consultant, providing both design and construction... Construction engineering concerns the planning and management of the construction of structures such as highways, bridges, airports, railroads, buildings, dams, and reservoirs. ... Chemical engineers design, construct and operate plants Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with the application of physical science (e. ... The Falkirk Wheel in Scotland. ... Materials engineering is a discipline related to materials science which focusses on materials design, processing techniques (casting, rolling, welding, ion implantation, crystal growth, thin film deposition, sintering, glassblowing, etc. ... Mechanical Engineering is an engineering discipline that involves the application of principles of physics for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. ... A military engineer is primarily responsible for the design and construction of offensive, defensive and logistical structures for warfare. ... Urban planning is concerned with the ordering and design of settlements, from the smallest towns to the worlds largest cities. ... Sextus Julius Frontinus (c. ... Pipe is a tube or hollow cylinder for the conveyance of fluid, gas and sometimes other materials. ... Look up basilica in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Country Italy Region Marche Province Pesaro e Urbino (PU) Mayor Stefano Aguzzi (since June 2004) Elevation 12 m Area 121 km² Population  - Total (as of December 31, 2004) 61,675  - Density 512/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Fanesi Dialing code 0721 Postal code 61032 Frazioni Bellocchi, Camminate... For other uses, see Cathedral (disambiguation). ...

The date of his death is unknown.^{[citation needed]}

De Architectura

Vitruvius is the author of De architectura, known today as The Ten Books on Architecture,^{[citation needed]} a treatise written of Latin and Greek on architecture, dedicated to the emperor Augustus. This work is the only surviving major book on architecture from classical antiquity. De architectūra (Latin: On architecture) was a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... This article is about building architecture. ...

Vitruvius is famous for asserting in his book De architectura that a structure must exhibit the three qualities of firmitas, utilitas, venustas — that is, it must be strong or durable, useful, and beautiful. According to Vitruvius, architecture is an imitation of nature. As birds and bees built their nests, so humans constructed housing from natural materials, that gave them shelter against the elements. When perfecting this art of building, the ancient Greek invented the architectural orders: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. It gave them a sense of proportion, culminating in understanding the proportions of the greatest work of art: the human body. This led Vitruvius in defining his Vitruvian Man, as drawn magnificently by Leonardo da Vinci: the human body inscribed in the circle and the square (the fundamental geometric patterns of the cosmic order). De architectūra (Latin: On architecture) was a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus. ... The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of Ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. ... Architects first real look at the Greek Ionic order: Julien David LeRoy, Les ruines plus beaux des monuments de la Grèce Paris, 1758 (Plate XX) Ionic order: 1 - entablature, 2 - column, 3 - cornice, 4 - frieze, 5 - architrave or epistyle, 6 - capital (composed of abacus and volutes), 7 - shaft, 8... The Corinthian order as used for the portico of the Pantheon, Rome provided a prominent model for Renaissance and later architects, through the medium of engravings. ... Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man (1492). ... “Da Vinci” redirects here. ...

Greek house plan by Vitruvius

Vitruvius is sometimes loosely referred to as the first architect, but it is more accurate to describe him as the first Roman architect to have written surviving records of his field. He himself cites older but less complete works. He was less an original thinker or creative intellect than a codifier of existing architectural practice. It should also be noted that Vitruvius had a much wider scope than modern architects. Roman architects practised a wide variety of disciplines; in modern terms, they could be described as being engineers, architects, landscape architects, artists, and craftsmen combined. Etymologically the word architect derives from Greek words meaning 'master' and 'builder'. The first of the Ten Books deals with many subjects which now come within the scope of landscape architecture. ‹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A landscape architect is primarily a designer of spaces, mostly landscapes, and sometimes gardens, in the field of landscape architecture. ... The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. ... Craftsman is an artisan who practices a handicraft or trade; a style of architecture and furniture arising from the Arts and Crafts movement; a military rank within the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, equivalent to a private; and a brand of tools. ... Central Park, like all parks, is an example of landscape architecture. ...

Roman technology

Drainage wheel from Rio Tinto mines

Sequence of drainage wheels found in Spanish mine

Books VIII, IX and X form the basis of much of what we know about Roman technology, now augmented by archaeological studies of extant remains, such as the water mills at Barbegal in France. A watermill is a machine constructed by connecting a water wheel to a pair of millstones. ...

Machines

The work is important for its descriptions of the many different machines used for engineering structures such as hoists, cranes and pulleys, as well as war machines such as catapaults and ballistae, and siege engines. As a practising engineer, Vitruvius must be speaking from personal experience rather than simply describing the works of others. He also describes the construction of sundials and water clocks. Builders hoist, with small petrol engine Hoist or hoist can mean:- A verb meaning to lift. In flag terminology, the half of a flag nearest to the flagpole. ... A modern crawler type derrick crane with outriggers. ... For the band, see Pulley (band). ... Replica catapult at Château des Baux, France Catapults are siege engines using an arm to hurl a projectile a great distance. ... The ballista (Latin, from Greek ballistēs, from ballein to throw, plural ballistae) was a powerful ancient weapon, similar to a giant crossbow, which ejected heavy darts or spherical stone projectiles of various sizes. ... Replica battering ram at Château des Baux, France. ... Wall sundial Wall sundial in Warsaws Old Town A sundial measures time by the position of the sun. ... A water clock or clepsydra is a device for measuring time by letting water regularly flow out of a container usually by a tiny aperture. ...

Aqueducts

His description of aqueduct construction includes the way they are surveyed, and the careful choice of materials needed, although Frontinus writing a century later gives much more detail of the practical problems involved in their construction and maintenance. He was writing in the first century BC when many of the finest Roman aqueducts were built, and survive to this day, such as those at Segovia and the Pont du Gard. The use of the inverted siphon is described in detail, together with the problems of high pressures developed in the pipe at the base of the siphon, a practical problem with which he seems to be acquainted. His book would have been of great assistance to Frontinus, a general who was appointed in the late first century AD to administer the many aqueducts of Rome. He discovered a discrepancy between the intake and supply of water caused by illegal pipes inserted into the channels to divert the water. For other uses, see Aqueduct (disambiguation). ... Sextus Julius Frontinus (c. ... Pont du Gard, France, a Roman era aqueduct circa 19 BC. It is one of Frances top tourist attractions at over 1. ... The factual accuracy of part of this article is disputed. ... The Pont du Gard is an aqueduct in the south of France constructed by the Roman Empire, and located near Remoulins, in the Gard département. ... Inverted siphons are pressurized piplines that force water uphill. ... Sextus Julius Frontinus (c. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ...

Materials

He describes many different construction materials used for a wide variety of different structures, as well as such details as stucco painting. Cement and lime receive in-depth descriptions, the longevity of many Roman structures being mute testimony to their skill in building materials and design. Cranes are essential in large construction projects, such as this skyscraper In project architecture and civil engineering, construction is the building or assembly of any infrastructure on a site. ... Stucco is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water which is applied wet, and hardens when it dries. ... For other uses, see Cement (disambiguation). ... Lime has several meanings: Look up Lime in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Lime (mineral) - a group of calcium compounds and minerals in which they predominate, including: Limestone Agricultural lime - a mineral soil additive Calcium oxide (also quicklime) - a chemical compound Calcium hydroxide (also slaked lime) - a chemical compound Lime (fruit...

It is worth noting that Vitruvius advises that lead should not be used to conduct drinking water, recommending clay pipes or masonry channels. He comes to this conclusion in Book VIII of De Architectura after empirical observation of the apparent laborer illnesses in the plumbum foundries of his time. In 1986 the United States banned the use of lead in plumbing due to lead poisoning's neurological damage. General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series Post-transition metals or poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish gray Standard atomic weight 207. ... For the lead in news writing, see news style. ... Lead poisoning is a medical condition, also known as saturnism, plumbism or painters colic, caused by increased blood lead levels. ...

Vitruvius gives us the famous story about Archimedes and his detection of adulterated gold in a royal crown. When Archimedes realised that the volume of the crown could be measured exactly by the displacement created in a bath of water, he ran into the street with the cry of Eureka!, and the discovery enabled him to compare the density of the crown with pure gold. He showed that the crown had been alloyed with silver, and the king defrauded. For other uses, see Archimedes (disambiguation). ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... Eureka (Eureka!, or Heureka; Greek (later ); IPA: (modern Greek), (ancient Greek, both former and later forms), Anglicised as ) is a famous exclamation attributed to Archimedes. ...

Dewatering machines

Design for an Archimedean water-screw

He describes the construction of Archimedes' screw in Chapter X, although doesn't mention Archimedes by name. It was a device widely used for raising water to irrigate fields and dewater mines. Other lifting machines he mentions include the endless chain of buckets and the reverse overshot water-wheel, a spectacular example of a sequence of such wheels being shown above. Remains of the water wheels used for lifting water have been discovered in old mines such as those at Rio Tinto in Spain and Dolaucothi in west Wales. The former now is shown in the British Museum, and the latter in the National Museum of Wales. The remains were discovered when these mines were re-opened in modern mining attempts. Image File history File links VitruviusTenBooksMHMorgan1914p295. ... Image File history File links VitruviusTenBooksMHMorgan1914p295. ... Archimedes screw. ... Rio Tinto may refer to: Rio Tinto (Paraíba), in Paraíba State, Brazil. ... The Dolaucothi Gold Mines a. ... This article is about the country. ... London museum | name = British Museum | image = British Museum from NE 2. ... Entrance to the National Museum and Gallery The National Museum and Gallery of Wales (Welsh: Amgueddfa ac Oriel Genedlaethol Cymru) is a museum and art gallery in Cardiff, Wales. ...

Surveying instruments

That he must have been well practised in surveying is shown by his descriptions of surveying instruments, especially the water level or chorobates, which he compares favourably with the groma, a device using plumb lines. They were essential in all building operations, but especially in aqueduct construction, where a uniform gradient was important to provision of a regular supply of water without damage to the walls of the channel. A chorobates (Greek χωροβἀτης from khŏros; place + -batos, going) was a kind of level used in classical antiquity. ... A plumb line is a reference line guided by a string or cord weighted at the end with a large weight known as a plumb bob. ...

Central heating

Ruins of the hypocaust under the floor of a Roman villa. The part under the exedra is covered.

He describes the many innovations made in building design to improve the living conditions of the inhabitants. Foremost among them is the development of the hypocaust, a type of central heating where hot air developed by a fire was channelled under the floor and inside the walls of public baths and villas. He gives explicit instructions how to design such buildings so that fuel efficiency is maximised, so that for example, the caldarium is next to the tepidarium followed by the frigidarium. He also advises on using a type of regulator to control the heat in the hot rooms, a bronze disc set into the roof under a circular aperture which could be raised or lowered by a pulley to adjust the ventilation. Although he does not suggest it himself, it is likely that his dewatering devices such as the reverse overshot water-wheel was used in the larger baths to lift water to header tanks at the top of the larger thermae, such as the Baths of Diocletian and the Baths of Caracalla. Download high resolution version (1536x1024, 172 KB)Hypocaust from a late Roman villa. ... Download high resolution version (1536x1024, 172 KB)Hypocaust from a late Roman villa. ... An exedra adopted by James Cameron for a neoclassical interior space, at the Hermitage In architecture an exedra is a semicircular recess, often crowned by a half-dome, which is usually set into a buildings facade. ... Ruins of the hypocaust under the floor of a Roman villa. ... For the Grand Central Records albums, see Central Heating (Grand Central album) and Central Heating 2. ... Hygiene is the maintenance of healthful practices. ... The Albertian Villa Medici in Fiesole: terraced grounds on a sloping site. ... Fuel efficiency, in its basic sense, is the same as thermal efficiency, meaning the efficiency of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier fuel into kinetic energy or work. ... Caldarium from the Roman Baths at Bath, England. ... The Tepidarium (1881), by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema The tepidarium was the warm (tepidus) bathroom of the Roman baths heated by a hypocaust or underfloor heating system. ... A frigidarium is a large cold pool to drop into after enjoying a hot Roman bath. ... This article is about the metal alloy. ... For the band, see Pulley (band). ... The basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, built in the tepidarium of the baths The church of San Bernardo alle Terme recycled an old circular tower at the southwestern corner of the perimeter wall of the baths, one of four towers defining its grounds. ... The Baths of Caracalla, in 2003 The Baths of Caracalla were Roman public baths, or thermae, built in Rome between 212 and 216 AD, during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla. ...

Rediscovery

His book De architectura was rediscovered in 1414 by the Florentine humanist Poggio Bracciolini. To Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472) falls the honour of making this work widely known in his seminal treatise on architecture De re aedificatoria (ca. 1450). The first known edition of Vitruvius was in Rome by Fra Giovanni Sulpitius in 1486. Translations followed in Italian (Como, 1521), French (Jean Martin, 1547 ^[9], English, German (Walter H. Ryff, 1543) and Spanish and several other languages. The original illustrations had been lost. New woodcut illustrations, based on descriptions in the text, were added in the 16th century, probably by Fra Giovanni Giocondo in Venice in 1511.^[10] The surviving ruins of Roman antiquity, the Roman Forum, temples, theatres, triumphal arches and their reliefs and statues gave ample visual examples of the descriptions in the Vitruvian text. This book then quickly became a major inspiration for Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical architecture. Brunelleschi, for example, invented a new type of hoist to lift the large stones for the dome of the cathedral in Florence and was prompted by De Architectura as well as viewing the many surviving Roman monuments like the Parthenon and the Baths of Diocletian in Rome. De architectūra (Latin: On architecture) was a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus. ... This article or section should be merged with Gian Francesco Poggio Bracciolini Gianfrancesco (or Giovanni Francesco) Poggio Bracciolini (February 11, 1380 - October 10, 1459) was one of the most important Italian Renaissance humanists. ... Leone Battista Alberti (February 1404 - 25th April 1472), Italian painter, poet, linguist, philosopher, cryptographer, musician, architect, and general Renaissance polymath . ... De re aedificatoria: On the Art of Building in Ten Books, is a classic architectural treatise written by Leon Battista Alberti in 1450. ... Fra Giovanni Giocondo (c. ... Part of the Roman Forum. ... This article is about the European Renaissance of the 14th-17th centuries. ... For other uses, see Baroque (disambiguation). ... The Cathedral of Vilnius (1783), by Laurynas Gucevičius. ... Filippo Brunelleschi, 1377 - 1446, was the first great Florentine architect of the Italian Renaissance. ... Builders hoist, with small petrol engine Hoist or hoist can mean:- A verb meaning to lift. In flag terminology, the half of a flag nearest to the flagpole. ... This article is about the city in Italy. ... For other uses, see Parthenon (disambiguation). ... The basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, built in the tepidarium of the baths The church of San Bernardo alle Terme recycled an old circular tower at the southwestern corner of the perimeter wall of the baths, one of four towers defining its grounds. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ...

Lists of names given in Book VII Introduction

In book seven's introduction Vitruvius goes through great lengths to present his credentials for writing De Architectura. Similar in concept to a modern day reference section, the author's position as one who is knowledgeable and educated is established. The topics listed range across many fields of expertise reflecting that in Roman times as today construction is a diverse field. Some modern day knowledge is derived only from descriptions given in the introduction, it is apparent that there are many ancient texts and individuals works that are lost due to the fact that many listed are unheard of. Vitruvius makes the point that some of the most talented individuals work is unknown while many who are of less talent but greater political position are well known. This theme runs through Vitruvius’s ten books repeatedly and here in the chapter seven introduction he illustrates this by naming in addition to other well known names, some of the most talented individuals in history, known only because their name appears in book seven's introduction:

• List of physicists Thales, Democritus, Anaxagoras, Xenophanes

• List of philosophers Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, Epicurus

• List of kings Croesus, Alexander the Great, Darius

• On plagiarism Aristophanes, Ptolemy I Soter, Attalus

• On abusing dead authors Zoilus (Homeromastix), Ptolemy I Soter, Philadelphus

• On divergence of the visual rays Agatharchus, Aeschylus, Democritus, Anaxagoras

• List of writers on temples Silenus, Theodorus, Chersiphron and Metagenes, Ictinus and Carpion, Theodorus the Phocian, Hermogenes, Arcesius, Satyrus and Pytheos

• List of Artists Leochares, Bryaxis, Scopas, Praxiteles, Timotheus (Timotheos)

• List of writers on laws of symmetry Nexaris, Theocydes, Demophilus, Pollis, Leonidas, Silanion, Melampus, Sarnacus, Euphranor

• List of writers on machinery Diades of Pella, Archytas, Archimedes, Ctesibius, Nymphodorus, Philo of Byzantium, Diphilus, Democles, Charias, Polyidus of Thessaly, Pyrrus, Agesistratus, Abdaraxus

• List of writers on architecture Fuficius, Terentius Varro, Publius Septimius

• List of architects Antistates, Callaeschrus, Antimachides, Pormus, Cossutius

• List of greatest temple architects Chersiphron of Gnosus, Metagenes, Demetrius, Paeonius the Milesian, Ephesian Daphnis, Ictinus, (Philo) Philon, Cossutius, Gaius Mucius

For the Defense and Security Company, see Thales Group. ... ‎ Democritus (Greek: ) was a pre-Socratic Greek materialist philosopher (born at Abdera in Thrace ca. ... Anaxagoras Anaxagoras (Greek: Αναξαγόρας, c. ... Xenophanes of Colophon (Greek: Ξενοφάνης, 570 BC-480 BC) was a Greek philosopher, poet, and social and religious critic. ... This page is about the Classical Greek philosopher. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Aristotle (disambiguation). ... Zeno of Elea (IPA:zÉ›noÊŠ, É›lɛɑː)(circa 490 BC? – circa 430 BC?) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher of southern Italy and a member of the Eleatic School founded by Parmenides. ... Epicure redirects here. ... Croesus Croesus (IPA pronunciation: , CREE-sus) was the king of Lydia from 560/561 BC until his defeat by the Persians in about 547 BC. The English name Croesus come from the Latin transliteration of the Greek , in Arabic and Persian قارون, Qârun. ... For the film of the same name, see Alexander the Great (1956 film). ... Darius (in Persian داريوش (Dah-rii-yoosh)) is a common Persian male name. ... This article is about the 5-4th century BC dramatist. ... Ptolemy I Soter (Greek: , Ptolemaios Soter, i. ... Attalus (c. ... Zoilus (Greek: , c. ... Zoilus (Greek: , c. ... Ptolemy I Soter (Greek: , Ptolemaios Soter, i. ... Agatharchus was an Athenian painter of the 5th century BC. He is said by Vitruvius to have been the first to paint a scene for the acting of tragedies. ... This article is about the ancient Greek playwright. ... ‎ Democritus (Greek: ) was a pre-Socratic Greek materialist philosopher (born at Abdera in Thrace ca. ... Anaxagoras Anaxagoras (Greek: Αναξαγόρας, c. ... In Greek mythology, sileni were a race of half-horse, half-humans, unlike the satyrs, who were half-goat. ... Chersiphron (6th century BC), an architect of Knossos in Crete, was the builder of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, on the Ionian coast. ... Chersiphron (working early 6th century BCE) was an architect of Crete—of Gnosos in the corrupt text of Vitruvius that has survived— who was the builder of the original archaic Ionic Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in Asia Minor, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World... Iktinos (also Iktious or Ictinus) was an architect active in the mid 5th century BC, who, together with Kallikrates designed the Parthenon (447?–432 B.C.) in Athens, Greece. ... Interest in Hermogenes of Priene (late 3rd - early 2nd century BCE), the Hellenistic architect of a temple of Artemis Leukophryene (Artemision) at Magnesia in Lydia, an Ionian colony on the banks of the Maeander river in Anatolia, has been sparked by references to his esthetic made by the first century... In Greek mythology, Arcesius, or Arkêsios, was the King of Ithaca and father of Laertes. ... Satyros or Satyrus, was a ancient Greek architect of the 4th century BCE. Along with Pythis, he designed the Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. ... Pythis, also known as Pytheos or Pythius, was one of the most noted Greek architects of the later age. ... Leochares was an Greek sculptor, who lived in the 4th Century B.C. He is theorised as the creator of Apollo Belvedere, which is currently housed in Vatican City. ... Bryaxis (born c. ... Scopas (Σκόπας) (c. ... Praxiteles of Athens, the son of Cephisodotus, was the greatest of the Attic sculptors of the 4th century BC, who has left an imperishable mark on the history of art. ... Roman marble of Leda and the Swan (Prado) Timotheos was a Greek sculptor of the fourth century BCE, one of the rivals and contemporaries of Skopas, among the sculptors who worked for their own fame on the Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus during the 350s. ... Demophilus (died 480 BC) was a general of Thespiae and the son of Diadromes. ... Leonidas can refer to: Leonidas I, king of Sparta, ruled c. ... JDoorjam 15:50, 20 August 2005 (UTC) Categories: Possible copyright violations ... In Greek Mythology, Melampus, or Melampous, was a soothsayer and healer who could talk to animals. ... Euphranor of Corinth (middle of the 4th century BC) was the only Greek artist who excelled both as a sculptor and as a painter. ... Diades of Pella (Διάδης ο Πελλαίος) (The Besieger), Greek inventor of many siege engines. ... Archytas Archytas (428 BC - 347 BC) was a Greek philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, statesman, strategist and commander-in-chief. ... For other uses, see Archimedes (disambiguation). ... Ctesibius or Ktesibios or Tesibius (Greek Κτησίβιος) (flourished 285–222 BC) was a Greek[1] inventor and mathematician in Alexandria. ... Philo of Byzantium, a Greek writer on mechanics, (born about 280 BCE) flourished during the latter half of the 2nd century B.C. (according to some, a century earlier). ... Diphilus, of Sinope, poet of the new Attic comedy and contemporary of Menander (342-291 BC). ... Democles (in Greek Δημοκλής; lived 4th century BC) was an Athenian orator, and a contemporary of Demochares, among whose opponents he is mentioned. ... Marcus Terentius Varro ([[116 BC]–27 BC), also known as Varro Reatinus to distinguish him from his contemporary Varro Atacinus, was a Roman scholar and writer, who the Romans came to call the most learned of all the Romans. ... Publius Septimius may refer to the folowing persons Publius Septimius Geta, a Roman emperor A Roman who wrote two books on architecture prior to the first century B.C.( see Vitruvius vii, introduction) These books may be lost. ... Chersiphron (working early 6th century BCE) was an architect of Crete—of Gnosos in the corrupt text of Vitruvius that has survived— who was the builder of the original archaic Ionic Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in Asia Minor, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World... Look up Demetrius in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Iktinos (also Iktious or Ictinus) was an architect active in the mid 5th century BC, who, together with Kallikrates designed the Parthenon (447?–432 B.C.) in Athens, Greece. ... Philon, Athenian architect of the 4th century BC, is known as the planner of two important works: the portico of the great Hall of the Mysteries at Eleusis and an arsenal at Athens. ...

Trivia

A small lunar crater has been named after Vitruvius and also an elongated lunar mountain Mons Vitruvius close-by. This crater was near the valley that served as the landing site of the Apollo 17 mission. Vetruvius is a small lunar crater that lies on the northern edge of the Mare Tranquillitatis. ... Mons Vitruvius is a mountain on the Moon that is located in the Montes Taurus region just to the north of Mare Tranquillitatis and to the southeast of Mare Serenitatis. ... Apollo 17 was the eleventh manned space mission in the NASA Apollo program. ...

See also

• Archimedes
• Aristotle
• Ctesibius
• Colen Campbell
• Frontinus
• Pliny the Elder
• Roman aqueducts
• Roman engineering
• Roman technology
• Vitruvian man

For other uses, see Archimedes (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Aristotle (disambiguation). ... Ctesibius or Ktesibios or Tesibius (Greek Κτησίβιος) (flourished 285–222 BC) was a Greek[1] inventor and mathematician in Alexandria. ... Palladian revival: Stourhead House, South facade, designed by Colen Campbell and completed in 1720. ... Sextus Julius Frontinus (c. ... Pliny the Elder: an imaginative 19th Century portrait. ... Pont du Gard, France, a Roman era aqueduct circa 19 BC. It is one of Frances top tourist attractions at over 1. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Pont du Gard in France is a Roman aqueduct built in ca. ... Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man (1492). ...

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Vitruvius

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Vitruvius

Roman Artillery Links Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikiquote is one of a family of wiki-based projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation, running on MediaWiki software. ...

• Ballista

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jolYDinb_50

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeoielGT2zk

plans: http://www.frapanthers.com/teachers/white/galleries/roman_artillary/RomanPalintonePlan.jpg

website: http://www.romanarmy.net/artillery.htm

• Scorpion

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Anenk2Ty2CE

plans: http://www.frapanthers.com/teachers/white/galleries/roman_artillary/RomanCatapultaPLAN.jpg

• Onager video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BPa_nOiK4A

• The Ten Books on Architecture online: cross-linked Latin text and English translation
• The Ten Books on Architecture at the Perseus Classics Collection. Latin and English text. Images. Latin text has hyperlinks to pop-up dictionary.
• Latin text, version 2
• Ten Books on Architecture, available at Project Gutenberg. (Morris Hicky Morgan translation with illustrations)
• Vitruvius on line: http://www.cesr.univ-tours.fr/architectura/Traite/Auteur/Vitruve.asp
• Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian man as an algorithm for the approximation of the squaring of the circle
• Vitruvius' theories of beauty - a learning resource from the British Library
• Shockwave-Animation: The Odometer of Vitruv
• Discussion of the inventions of Vitruvius
• Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Diocese of Fano [5]
• Spanish site dedicated to Roman technology, especially aqueducts and mines

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