Marcus Vitruvius Pollio Quotes - Page 4

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I am moreover inclined to be concise when I reflect on the constant occupation of the citizens in public and private affairs, so that in their few leisure moments they may read and understand as much as possible.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Citizens, Occupation, May

Marcus VITRUVIUS POLLIO, Joseph GWILT (1826). “The Architecture of M. Vitruvius Pollio in Ten Books, Translated from the Latin by J. Gwilt”, p.124

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Bodies which contain a greater proportion of water than is necessary to balance the other elements, are speedily corrupted, and lose their virtues and properties.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Water, Balance, Elements

Marcus VITRUVIUS POLLIO, Joseph GWILT (1826). “The Architecture of M. Vitruvius Pollio in Ten Books, Translated from the Latin by J. Gwilt”, p.17

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The winter oak... is very useful in buildings but when in a moist place it takes in water to its centre... and so it rots. The Turkey oak and the beech both... take in moisture to their centre and soon decay. White and black poplar, as well as willow, linden, and the agnus castus... are of great service from their stiffness... they are a convenient material to use in carving.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Winter, Turkeys, White

"De architectura (Ten Books on Architecture)". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Book II, Chapter IX, Section 9), circa 15 BC.

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In order that the mortar in the joints may not suffer from frosts, drench it with oil-dregs every year before winter begins. Thus treated, it will not let the hoarfrost enter it.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Winter, Order, Years

"De architectura (Ten Books on Architecture)". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Book VII, Chapter I, Section 6), circa 15 BC.

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From prescription, in the case of hypaethral edifices, open to the sky, in honor of Jupiter Lightning, the Heaven, the Sun, or the Moon: for these are gods whose semblances and manifestations we behold before our very eyes in the sky when it is cloudless and bright.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Eye, Moon, Sky

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book I, Chapter II, Section 5,

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Trees which grow in places facing the course of the sun are not of porous fiber but are solid, being drained by the dryness... The trees in sunny neighborhoods, therefore, being solidified by the compact texture of their fiber, and not being porous from moisture, are very useful, so far as durability goes, when they are hewn into timber. The lowland firs, being conveyed from sunny places, are better than those highland firs, which are brought here from shady places.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Tree, Moisture, Texture

"De architectura (Ten Books on Architecture)". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Book II, Chapter X "Highland and Lowland Fir", Section 1), circa 15 BC.

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Astronomers have a common ground for discussion with musicians in the harmony of the stars and musical concords in tetrads and triads of the fourth and the fifth, and with geometricians in the subject of vision; and in all other sciences many points, perhaps all, are common so far as the discussion of them is concerned. But the actual undertaking of works which are brought to perfection by the hand and its manipulation is the function of those who have been specially trained to deal with a single art.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Art, Stars, Hands

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book I, Chapter I, Section 16,

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Our ancestors, when about to build a town or an army post, sacrificed some of the cattle that were wont to feed on the site proposed and examined their livers. If the livers of the first victims were dark-coloured or abnormal, they sacrificed others, to see whether the fault was due to disease or their food. They never began to build defensive works in a place until after they had made many such trials and satisfied themselves that good water and food had made the liver sound and firm, healthfulness being their chief object.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Dark, Army, Water

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book I, Chapter IV, Section 9,

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Some have held that there are only four winds: Solanus from the east; Auster from the south; Favonius from due west; Septentrio from the north. But more careful investigators tell us that there are eight.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Eight, Wind, East

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book I, Chapter VI, Section 4,

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There are also half bricks. As the bricks are always laid so as to break joints, this lends strength and a not unattractive appearance to both sides of such walls.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Wall, Half, Unattractive

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book II, Chapter III, Section 4,

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Leave a cavity behind the [wall] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick or lava in courses, and then bind them to the fronts by means of iron clamps and lead. The beds and builds, all settling equally and bonded at the joints, will not let the work bulge out, nor allow the fall of the face walls which have been tightly fastened together.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Wall, Fall, Mean

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book II, Chapter VIII, Section 4,

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Fir : it contains a great deal of air and fire with very little moisture and the earthy, so that, as its natural properties are of the lighter class, it is not heavy. Hence, its consistence being naturally stiff, it does not easily bend under the load, and keeps its straightness when used in the framework. But it contains so much heat that it generates and encourages decay, which spoils it; and it also kindles fire quickly because of the air in its body, which is so open that it takes in fire and so gives out a great flame.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Fire, Air, Flames

"The Ten Books On Architecture". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, Book II, Chapter IX, Sec. 6, c. 15 BC.

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Apollo at Delphi, through the oracular utterance of his priestess, pronounced Socrates the wisest of men. Of him it is related that he said with sagacity and great learning that the human breast should have been furnished with open windows, so that men might not keep their feelings concealed, but have them open to the view. Oh that nature, following his idea, had constructed them thus unfolded and obvious to the view.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Men, Views, Should Have

"The Ten Books On Architecture". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, Book III, Preface, Sec. 1, c. 15 BC.

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The third order, called Corinthian, is an imitation of the slenderness of a maiden; for the outlines and limbs of maidens, being more slender on account of their tender years, admit of prettier effects in the way of adornment.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Order, Years, Way

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book IV, Chapter I, Section 8,

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Dinocrates did not leave the king, but followed him into Egypt. There Alexander, observing a harbor rendered safe by nature, an excellent center for trade, cornfields throughout all Egypt, and the great usefulness of the mighty river Nile, ordered him to build the city of Alexandria, named after the king. This was how Dinocrates, recommended only by his good looks and dignified carriage, came to be so famous.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Kings, Egypt, Cities

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book II, Introduction, Section 4,

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Wind is a floating wave of air, whose undulation continually varies.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Air, Wind, Floating

Marcus VITRUVIUS POLLIO, Joseph GWILT (1826). “The Architecture of M. Vitruvius Pollio in Ten Books, Translated from the Latin by J. Gwilt”, p.24

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From the exterior face of the wall towers must be projected, from which an approaching enemy may be annoyed by weapons, from the embrasures of those towers, right and left.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Wall, Annoyed, Enemy

Marcus VITRUVIUS POLLIO, Joseph GWILT (1826). “The Architecture of M. Vitruvius Pollio in Ten Books, Translated from the Latin by J. Gwilt”, p.21

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Fresh pitsand, however, in spite of all its excellence in concrete structures, is not equally useful in stucco, the richness of which, when the lime and straw are mixed with such sand, will cause it to crack as it dries on account of the great strength of the mixture. But river sand, though useless in "signinum" on account of its thinness, becomes perfectly solid in stucco when thoroughly worked by means of polishing instruments.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Mean, Rivers, Excellence

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book II, Chapter IV, Section 3,

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For siege works against bold and venturesome men should be constructed on one plan, on another against cautious men, and on still another against the cowardly.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Men, Siege, Should

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The leaves of these [larch] trees are like those of the pine; timber from them comes in long lengths, is as easily wrought in joiner's work as is the clearwood of fir, and contains a liquid resin, of the color of Attic honey, which is good for consumptives.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Color, Long, Tree

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book II, Chapter IX, Section 17,

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At Jaffa in Syria and among the Nomads in Arabia, are lakes of enormous size that yield very large masses of asphalt, which are carried off by the inhabitants thereabouts.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Lakes, Yield, Arabia

"De architectura (Ten Books on Architecture)". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Book VII, Chapter III, Section 8), circa 15 BC.

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Some springs are acid, as at Lyncestus and in Italy in the Velian country, at Teano in Campania, and in many other places. These when used in drinks have the power of breaking up stones in the bladder, which form in the human body.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Country, Spring, Body

"De architectura (Ten Books on Architecture)". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Book VII, Chapter III, Section 17), circa 15 BC.

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There are also in some places springs which have the peculiarity of giving fine singing voices to the natives, as at Tarsus in Magnesia and in other countries of that kind.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Country, Spring, Voice

"De architectura (Ten Books on Architecture)". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Book VII, Chapter III, Section 24), circa 15 BC.

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The larch... is not only preserved from decay and the worm by the great bitterness of its sap, but also it cannot be kindled with fire nor ignite of itself, unless like stone in a limekiln it is burned with other wood... This is because there is a very small proportion of the elements of fire and air in its composition, which is a dense and solid mass of moisture and the earthy, so that it has no open pores through which fire can find its way... Further, its weight will not let it float in water.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Fire, Air, Water

"De architectura (Ten Books on Architecture)". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Book II, Chapter IX, Section 14), circa 15 BC.

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Thus by such victory, not by machines but in oppositions to the principle to the principles of machines, has the freedom of states been preserved by the cunning of architects.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Victory, Principles, Machines

"De architectura (Ten Books on Architecture)". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Book X, Chapter XVI, Section 12), circa 15 BC.

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Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

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Born: 81 BC
Died: 15
Occupation: Author
Cite this Page: Citation

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