Marcus Vitruvius Pollio Quotes - Page 3

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Remembering that Eratosthenes of Cyrene, employing mathematical theories and geometrical methods, discovered from the course of the sun, the shadows cast by an equinoctial gnomon, and the inclination of the heaven that the circumference of the earth is two hundred and fifty-two thousand stadia, that is, thirty-one million five hundred thousand paces.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Two, Heaven, Shadow

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

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The oak has not the efficacy of the fir, nor the cypress that of the elm.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Cypresses, Efficacy, Oaks

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

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The fact is that pictures which are unlike reality ought not be approved, and even if they are technically fine, this is no reason why they should offhand be judged to be correct, if their subject is lacking in the principles of reality carried out with no violations.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Reality, Facts, Reason Why

"De architectura (Ten Books on Architecture)". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Book VII, Chapter V, Section 4), circa 15 BC.

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There are many names for winds derived from localities or from the squalls which sweep from rivers or down mountains.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Wind, Names, Rivers

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book I, Chapter VI, Section 10,

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In Sparta, paintings have been taken out of certain walls by cutting through the bricks, then have been placed in wooden frames, and so brought to the Comitium to adorn the aedileship of [C. Visellius] Varro and [C. Licinius] Murena.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Wall, Taken, Cutting

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

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While all bodies are composed of the four elements, that is, of heat, moisture, the earthy, and air, yet there are mixtures according to natural temperament which make up the natures of all the different animals of the world, each after its kind.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Animal, Air, Four Elements

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

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Pytheos made a mistake by not observing that the arts are each composed of two things, the actual work and the theory of it. One of these, the doing of the work, is proper to men trained in the individual subject, while the other the theory is common to all scholars.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Art, Mistake, Men

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book I, Chapter I, Section 15,

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The construction of temples of the Ionic order to Juno, Diana, Father Bacchus, and the other gods of that kind, will be in keeping with the middle position which they hold; for the building of such will be an appropriate combination of the severity of the Doric and the delicacy of the Corinthian.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Father, Order, Delicacy

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

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The stone in quarries is found to be of different and unlike qualities. In some it is soft, in others it is medium, in still others it is hard as in lava quarries. There are also numerous other kinds: for instance, in Campania, red and black tufas; in Umbria, Picenum, and Venetia, white tufa which can be cut with a toothed saw like wood.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Cutting, Umbria, White

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book II, Chapter VII, Section 1,

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Oak... lasts for an unlimited period when buried in underground structures... when exposed to moisture... it cannot take in liquid on account of its compactness, but, withdrawing from the moisture, it resists it and warps, thus making cracks.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Lasts, Liquid, Cracks

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

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Marshes that are stagnant and have no outlets either by rivers or ditches, like the Pomptine marshes, merely putrefy as they stand, emitting heavy, unhealthy vapors. A case of a town built in such a spot was Old Salpia in Apulia ... Year after year there was sickness, until finally the suffering inhabitants came with a public petition to Marcus Hostilius and got him to agree to seek and find them a proper place to which to remove their city.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Rivers, Years, Cities

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

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There are two styles of walls "opus reticulatum," now used by everybody and the ancient style called "opus incertum." Of these, the reticulatum looks better, but its construction makes it likely to crack. On the other hand, in the opus incertum, the rubble lying in courses and imbricated, makes a wall which though not beautiful, is stronger.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Beautiful, Wall, Lying

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book II, Chapter VIII: "Methods of Building Walls", Sec. 1,

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In the midst of all this great variety of subjects, an individual cannot attain to perfection in each, because it is scarcely in his power to take in and comprehend the general theories of them.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Perfection, Individual, Midst

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book I, Chapter I, Section 13,

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Music, also, the architect ought to understand so that he may have knowledge of the canonical and mathematical theory, and besides be able to tune ballistae , catapultae, and scorpiones to the proper key. For to the right and left in the beams are the holes in the frames through which the strings of twisted sinew are stretched by means of windlasses and bars, and these strings must not be clamped and made fast until they give the same correct note to the ear of the skilled workman.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Mean, Keys, Giving

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

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From food and water, then, we may learn whether sites are naturally unhealthy or healthy.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Water, Healthy, May

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book I, Chapter IV, Section 10,

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Next I must tell about the machine of Ctesibius, which raises water to a height.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Water, Machines, Height

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Cold winds are disagreeable, hot winds enervating, moist winds unhealthy.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Wind, Hot, Cold

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book I, Chapter VI: "The Directions of the Streets with Remarks on the Winds", Section 1,

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The difference between "machines" and "engines" is obviously this, that machines need more workmen and greater power to make them take effect, as for instance ballistae and the beams of presses. Engines, on the other hand, accomplish their purpose at the intelligent touch of a single workman...

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Intelligent, Hands, Differences

"De architectura (Ten Books on Architecture)". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Book X, Chapter I, Section 3), circa 15 BC.

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Nobody draws the light for covered wine rooms from the south or west, but rather from the north, since that quarter is never subject to change but is always constant and unshifting. So it is with granaries: grain exposed to the sun's course soon loses its good quality, and provisions and fruit, unless stored in a place unexposed to the sun's course, do not keep long.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Wine, Light, Long

"De architectura". Book by Vitruvius. Book I, Chapter IV, Section 2,

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In felling a tree we should cut into the trunk of it to the very heart, and then leave it standing so that the sap may drain out drop by drop throughout the whole of it... Then and not till then, the tree being drained dry and the sap no longer dripping, let it be felled and it will be in the highest state of usefulness.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Heart, Cutting, Tree

"De architectura (Ten Books on Architecture)". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Book II, Chapter IX, Section 3), circa 15 BC.

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But as for me, Emperor, nature has not given me stature, age has marred my face, and my strength is impaired by ill health. Therefore, since these advantages fail me, I shall win your approval, as I hope, by the help of my knowledge and my writings.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Writing, Winning, Ill Health

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

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The Phrygians select a natural hillock, run a trench through the middle of it, dig passages, and extend the interior space as widely as the site admits. Over it they build a pyramidal roof of logs fastened together, and this they cover with reeds and brushwood, heaping up very high mounds of earth above their dwellings. Thus their fashion in houses makes their winters very warm and their summers very cool.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Summer, Running, Fashion

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

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When it passes towards the east, the sun begins to have less effect upon it, and a thin line on the edge of its bright side emits its splendour towards the earth.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Aunt, East, Earth

Marcus VITRUVIUS POLLIO, Joseph GWILT (1826). “The Architecture of M. Vitruvius Pollio in Ten Books, Translated from the Latin by J. Gwilt”, p.274

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Since, therefore, individuals as well as the public are so indebted to these writers for the benefits they enjoy, I think them not only entitled to the honour of palms and crowns, but even to be numbered among the gods.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Thinking, Crowns, Benefits

Marcus VITRUVIUS POLLIO, Joseph GWILT (1826). “The Architecture of M. Vitruvius Pollio in Ten Books, Translated from the Latin by J. Gwilt”, p.260

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At Halicarnassus, the house of that most potent king Mausolus, though decorated throughout with Proconnesian marble, has walls built of brick which are to this day of extraordinary strength, and are covered with stucco so highly polished that they seem to be as glistening as glass. That king did not use brick from poverty; for he was choke-full of revenues, being ruler of all Caria.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Kings, Wall, Glasses

"De architectura (Ten Books on Architecture)". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Book II, Chapter VIII, Section 10), 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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