Vitruvii De Architectura

Praefatio

1. Cum divina tua mens et numen, imperator Caesar, imperio potiretur orbis terrarum invictaque virtute cunctis hostibus stratis triumpho victoriaque tua cives gloriarentur et gentes omnes subactae tuum spectarent nutum populusque Romanus et senatus liberatus timore amplissimis tuis cogitationibus consiliisque gubernaretur, non audebam, tantis occupationibus, de architectura scripta et magnis cogitationibus explicata edere, metuens, ne apto temore interpellans tui animi offensionem.

Translation

1. When your Highness's divine mind and power, O Caesar, gained the empire of the world, Rome gloried in your triumph and victory. For all her enemies were crushed by your invincible courage and all mankind obeyed your bidding; the Roman people and senate were not only freed but followed your guidance, inspired as it was by a generous imagination. Amid such affairs I shrank from publishing my writings on architecture in which I displayed designs made to a large scale, for I feared lest by interrupting at an inconvenient time, I should be found an hindrance to your thoughts.

2. Cum vero attenderem te non solum de vita communi omnium curam publicaeque rei constitutionem habere sed etiam de opportunitate publicorum aedificiorum, ut civitas per te non solum provinciis esset aucta, verum etiam ut maiestas imperii publicorum aedificiorum egregias haberet auctoritates, non putavi praetermittendum, quin primo quoque tempore de his rebus ea tibi ederem, ideo quod primum parenti tuo de eo fueram notus et eius virtutis studiosus. Cum autem concilium caelestium in sedibus inmortalitatis eum dedicavisset et imperium parentis in tuam potestatem transtulisset, idem studium meum in eius memoria permanens in te contulit favorem. Itaque cum M. Aurelio et P. Minidio et Cn. Cornelio ad apparationem balistarum et scorpionum reliquorumque tormentorum refectionem fui praesto et cum eis commoda accepi, quae, cum primo mihi tribuisti recognitionem, per sororis commendationem servasti.

Translation

2. But I observed that you cared not only about the common life of all men, and the constitution of the state, but also about the provision of suitable public buildings; so that the state was not only made greater through you by its new provinces, but the majesty of the empire also was expressed through the eminent dignity of its public buildings. Hence I conceived that the opportunity should be taken at once of bringing before you my proposals about these things: the more so, because I had been first known to your father herein, whose virtues I revered. When, however, the Council of Heaven gave him an abode in the mansion of the immortals and placed in your power your father's empire, that same zeal of mine which had remained faithful to his memory found favour also with you. Therefore, along with M. Aurelius and P. Minidius and Cn. Cornelius, I was put in charge of the construction and repair of balistae and scorpiones and other engines of war, and, along with my colleagues, received advancement. After first granting me this surveyorship, you continued it by the recommendation of your sister.

3.Cum ergo eo beneficio essem obligatus, ut ad exitum vitae non haberen inopiae timorem, haec tibi scribere coepi, quod animadverti multa te aedificavisse et nunc aedificare, reliquo quoque tempore et publicorum et privatorum aedificiorum, pro amplitudine rerum gestarum ut posteris memoriae traderentur, curam habiturum. Conscripsi praescriptiones terminatas, ut eas adtendens et ante facta et futura qualia sint opera, per te posses nota habere.
Namque his voluminibus aperui omnes disciplinae rationes.

Translation

3. Since, then, I was indebted to you for such benefits that to the end of life I had no fear of poverty, I set about the composition of this work for you. For I perceived that you have built, and are now building, on a large scale. Furthermore, with respect to the future, you have such regard to public and private buildings, that they will correspond to the grandeur of our history, and will be a memorial to future ages. I have furnished a detailed treatise so that, by reference to it, you might inform yourself about the works already complete or about to be entered upon.
In the following books I have expounded a complete system of architecture.

COMMENT

We do not know the date of birth of Vitruvius. From the few biografical notes in the preceding text we can however deduce that he lived in the 1st century B.C. Indeed. He dedicates his work to Augustus (imperator Caesar) after his victory on Antonius and Cleopatra in the battle of Actium (31 B.C.). This seems clear to me from the 1st alinea. Peace had returned and the rebuilding of public and private monuments was clearly going on for a certain time (cf. his reference to the building program of Augustus: 'animadverti multa te aedificavisse et nunc aedificare'). So students assume that the 'De architectura' was written about 25 B.C. On that moment Vitruvius seems to be an old man (Cum ergo eo beneficio essem obligatus (allusion on his retirement?), ut ad exitum vitae non haberem inopiae timorem). Indeed, in the 2nd sentence we learn that he has worked for Julius Caesar (ideo quod primum parenti tuo de eo fueram notus) whom he indicates as the 'father' (parens) of Augustus.
In the preface of book VI we can learn something about his studies. In this chapter he shows a great gratitude to his parents who let him complete his studies in architecture. Throughout the 'De Architectura' we find many references to older (lost) works on architecture, to greek philosophy, mathematics, physics and other sciences. From this we can only conclude that Vitruvius was a highly literate man and that, during his education, he had the best teachers of the moment and had access to specialized libraries. Since in his work we find no indication that he studied abroad we must assume that he made his studies in Rome.
In the time of Julius Caesar Vitruvius was clearly a war engineer, responsible for the artillery. Later a became 'curator aquarum' as appears from 'recognitionem' in the 2nd sentence.
The building program of Augustus was very considerable. We can read about it in his 'Res gestae divi Augusti' where, at the end of his life, he gives an enumeration of all his achievements: military, political, cultural and - also - building.
Vitruvius' intention is clear: to give an handbook written from his own experience and to make sure future generations of architects could build following given rules of technique and proportion. But Vitruvius didn't have a clear architectural vision. Instead he summarized the works of his predecessors and he is clearly unable to give new impulses to the artistic evolution of the architecture of his time. Even more, he is clearly against all forms of experiment and he strongly disapproved of the architects of his time who took the freedom to mix elements of the different building styles, as we will see in the second chapter of this book.
His approach is purely theoretical. Vitruvius describes ideal - non existant - buildings. When we compare his prescription to archaeological remains of his lifetime it is very hard to find a building that comes close to the Vitruvian rules. Even after the publication of his work he had only some influence on some public buildings in the colonies, not at Rome. A striking example is the basilica of Sabratha (Libya) which has the same plan as the basilica of Fano, described in the first chapter of book V. It was only during the renaissance, when the 'De Architectura' was discovered and translated and interpreted that arose buildings in which these rules were used.

Les dix Livres d'Architecture de Vitruve, Corrigés et traduit en 1684 par C. Perrault, Paris, 1684
Vitruvius, De Architectura libri X, ed. F. Granger, London, 1962
P.H.Schrijvers, Vitruve et la vie intellectuelle de son temps, in Munus non Ingratum (ed. H.Geertman & J.J.De Jong), Leiden, 1989, pp. 13-21
H.Knell, Vitruvs Architekturtheorie, Darmstadt, 1991

Chapter 1
Back to contents Book I
Home

Suggestions and remarks?
don't hesitate to send me a message