A decorative headpiece features scrolling foliage and mythical figures.

M. VITRUVIUS

POLLIO, ON ARCHI

TECTURE, BOOK

ONE.

PREFACE.

A decorative drop cap 'C' features a figure holding a staff.When your divine mind and spirit, Imperator Caesar, took control of the empire of the world, and with your unconquered Virtue, all enemies were laid low, and your triumph and Victoria Victory were celebrated, and all conquered nations looked to your nod, and the Roman people and Senate were freed from fear, and were being governed by your vast thoughts and counsels, I did not dare to publish my writings on Architecture, explained with great thought, fearing that by interrupting at an unsuitable time, I might incur the offense of your spirit. But when I observed that you concern yourself not only with the common life of all and the constitution of the state, but also with the provision of public buildings: so that the state might be increased by you not only in its provinces, but also that the majesty of the Empire might have the distinguished authority of public buildings: I did not think I should delay in publishing these matters for you at the first opportunity. This is because I was known to your father regarding this matter, and was a student of his virtue. When, however, the council of the celestial ones had dedicated him to the seats of immortality, and had transferred the empire of the father into your power, my same study, remaining in his memory, transferred its favor to you. Therefore, with Marcus Aurelius, Publius Minidius, and Gnaeus Cornelius, I was ready for the maintenance of balistae torsion engines for throwing stones, scorpiones smaller arrow-throwing engines, and other engines; and I received the benefits from them, which you recognized and preserved when you first bestowed them upon me, through the recommendation of your sister. Since I was therefore bound by that favor, so that I would not have the fear of poverty until the end of my life, I began to write these things for you: because I noticed that you have built much, and are now building, and in the remaining time also, you will have concern for both public and private buildings, in proportion to your achievements, so that they might be handed down to the memory of posterity. I have written these prescriptions, bound together, so that by attending to them, you might be able to know what the works built before, and those to be built, are like. For in these volumes, I have opened up the principles of the entire discipline—