Ten Books on Architecture

Ornamental initial 'E' with floral and foliate motifs.
...and is capable of rendering the reasons for things: whence art approaches most closely to wisdom. A mark of knowledge is the ability to teach others, for perfection lies in the ability to make another like ourselves. Experience neither does nor provides this; for although an experienced person may show another how he does something, he cannot provide the reason for what he does, since he employs nothing beyond his senses—which, according to the opinion of Plato, is a servile work, unless perhaps you call experience that which one does when, having already acquired the Art, he performs something from that art. But this looks elsewhere. It is the nature of Art to constitute another like itself; and an artisan can be named even while yawning or snoring, for he possesses within himself that which is. But an experienced person relies on sense alone.

Furthermore, all arts are small in the beginning, but grow together with time: nor is it any less fitting that we owe much to the inventors of things; for they themselves (which is most difficult) found the beginning. He who has this rightly has half of the whole. For the greatest power resides in these things: which anyone even moderately educated in Mathematics clearly senses. By Hercules, there is no one who does not see how certain, how common, and how obvious are those things which the Greeks call ἀξιώματα axioms and the Latins call proloquia propositions. Yet all the hidden and abstruse things which are held in those disciplines have proceeded and been derived from them, just as an entire nation and people is governed by one prince. That proposition seems small and almost nothing: that those things which respond to one also respond to each other. Yet it is small only to those who apply it from Physics to motions, bodies, times, and the spaces of locations; from Musicians to strings, nerves, and voices; from those who contemplate the power of perspectives to rays and lights; and finally from others to other things, whence the power and reason of all learning is accustomed to flow. Therefore, we owe the greatest thanks to the inventors; and greatest thanks also to those who spare no labor to adjudge those common and perceived beginnings of knowledge to the proposed Arts and sciences.

But we turn to the rest. Now, in dividing the arts, I shall not follow that exact and exquisite method of partitioning instituted by the methods of dialecticians, for I would delay the desires of students too much and be of little help. Furthermore, there is no one who does not know that there are seven liberal and free arts, of which three pertain to speech and four to quantity. And therein, Grammar is the author of speech and the moderator of writing; Logic also looks to this, that it may instruct speech to be taught, as Rhetoric does for persuading, and—if you wish to add it—Poetic for delighting. Here, however, both continuous and discrete quantity is held, from which we learn measures, motions, simple numbers, and those compared to sounds. I shall also pass over those base and menial [arts] which are not even worthy of the name of art.

Nor shall I consider as relevant to our matter those arts which are sent into our minds by divine instinct and inspiration, since we do not aim to embrace everything that is accustomed to be contained under the common name of art. Therefore, those necessary arts pertain to us which are compared for the dignity, convenience, and use of men. Of this kind is Navigation, Warfare, Building, Agriculture, Hunting, Painting, Sculpture, Weaving, and finally Medicine, and whatever others there may be, regarding which a twofold consideration is held. One is insofar as they reason and establish certain and limited rules for working; the other is insofar as they approach the work with a certain alacrity and readiness of hand, so that they may produce for human use the forms previously perceived in the mind regarding the subject matter. Hence it is that among the arts, some approach more closely to the notion of science, and some less.

Arts which excel in dignity and use are accustomed to be held as illustrious and principal by that name, because they rely most on disciplines, and especially on Arithmetic and Geometry. The others are less suitable and apt for nobility. Thus it happens that Architecture ought to be held the prince of all. Concerning this, before we discourse on anything, we must interpose the letter of M. Vitruvius, by which he dedicates his work to the best Prince, Augustus: first, to return thanks for how well he deserves of him; then, to aid the most munificent Prince in those matters which seemed to pertain to the ornament and splendor of the city. At the same time, he shows both the gratitude of his mind and his judgment; for he gives what was dearest to the giver and most pleasing to the receiver. Octavius was adopted by Caesar as a son; he succeeded to both his virtue and his Empire. And first, the name of Augustus was bestowed upon him, which name, although he acquired it for himself because of the increased Empire, could nevertheless suit him no less because of his care for studies and literary matters, and the greatness of the liberal arts. The rest which pertains to Augustus is settled in the letter itself; in which it is also to be observed that, far from adulation, Vitruvius wisely and aptly attributes to Augustus deserved praises, and those which could please him most. He therefore begins in this manner:

"When your divine mind and power, Emperor Caesar, were in possession of the Empire of the world, and with your unconquered virtue all enemies laid low, the citizens rejoiced in your triumph and victory, and the subject nations watched for your nod; and when the Roman people and the Senate, freed from fear, were governed by your most ample cogitations and counsels, I did not dare to publish writings about Architecture, explained more by my cogitations, fearing lest by interrupting at an unapt time, I might incur the offense of your mind."

In the time of Augustus, peace held the entire world; the doors of Janus were closed; the Empire was governed by the nod of one; and there was nothing the Roman citizens had to fear. Perhaps all things were then tranquil and peaceful; for the author of peace, the vindicator of liberty, and the artisan of salvation, our Lord Jesus Christ, was born at that time. § "I did not dare to publish writings..." For while we are occupied in action, there is no leisure to devote to studies; especially in such an administration of affairs, upon which the entire world had to rely. Therefore, the occasion and apt time must be observed when we institute the doing of anything.

"But when I attended to you, not only having care for the common life of all and the constitution of the public state, but also for the opportunity of public buildings, so that the city might not only be increased by itself through the provinces; but also that the Majesty of the Empire might have the distinguished authorities of public buildings..."