Poliphilo's Strife of Love in a Dream

Each face of the square base of the structure original: meta; literally a turning post in a racecourse, here referring to the pyramid's shape, beneath the start of the stairs of this admirable Pyramid, situated atop the aforementioned building, was six stadia A stadium was an ancient Greek unit of length, approximately 185 meters in longitudinal extension. Multiplied by four for its perimeter, the base occupied twenty-four stadia in its equilateral foundation. In height, from each corner, the lines rose with such measure—the same as the base line of the plinth—until all four met together at the central summit, forming a perfect pyramidal figure. The central perpendicular line, rising above the center of the crossed diagonals of the plinth original: Plyntho; the heavy square base of a column or pedestal, was one-sixth less than the length of the ascending lines.

This immense and terrifying Pyramid, rising by steps with admirable and exquisite symmetry in diamond-like hardness, contained one thousand, four hundred and ten grades, or steps, of stone casing. Ten steps were removed at the top to appropriately end the tapering. In their place was positioned a stupendous, solid, and firm Cube, monstrous in its thickness, which seemed to be placed on that summit without the aid of any transport. It was made of the same Parian marble Highly prized white marble from the Greek island of Paros as the stairs. This square block served as the base and support for the obelisk that is to be described. This enormous stone—of such a size that not even the great stone thrown by Tydides original: chermadio leuato da Titide; a reference to Diomedes (son of Tydeus) in Homer's Iliad, who threw a stone no two men could lift could compare—sloped inward by two parts in six around its circumference, and at the flattened top, the upper level remained four paces wide across its diameter. At its level surface, four metal Harpy feet Mythological creatures with the heads of women and the bodies of birds stood out, with cast, greaved legs and claws, fixed and firmly set with lead into the great stone toward the corners, atop the diagonal lines. These were of proportionate thickness and two paces in height. Knotting themselves together beautifully, they circled and bound the lowest base of a great Obelisk. They were cast in wonderful foliage, fruits, and flowers of appropriate size. Upon these, the Obelisk rested most firmly. It was two paces wide and seven times that in height, tapering artfully, made of Syene granite original: petra Pyro pecila Thebaicha; literally "fire-speckled stone of Thebes," referring to Egyptian red granite. On its faces were excellently carved Egyptian Hieroglyphs, smooth and polished as brightly as a mirror.

Upon the highest peak of this obelisk, placed with the utmost diligence and art, sat a stable base of orichalcum original: auricalco; a golden-colored alloy of copper and zinc, similar to brass. Fixed upon this was a rotating machine, or a cap original: petaſo, mounted on a sturdy pivot or pin. This held a statue of a Nymph, an elegant work of the aforementioned material. It was such as to strike with wonder anyone who considered it with the most careful and intent gaze. It was designed with such proportions that it appeared to be of common human stature even when seen from perfectly below in the open air. And