An Abridgment of the Architecture of Vitruvius

CHAP. I

Of Publick Buildings

Lib. 1.

Cap. 3. BUildings are either Publick, or Private; Those that are Publick, appertain either to Security, or Religion, or Publick Convenience. The Fortifications of Cities are for Security, the Temples for Religion, the Market-places, Town-Houses, Theatres, Academies are for the Publick Convenience.

The Disposition and Figures of the Ramparts were so ordered, that the Towers advanced out of the Walls to the end, that when the Enemy approached them, the Besieged which were in the Towers, might fall upon their Flank, both on the Right and the Left.

They took likewise great Care to make the Approaches to the Walls difficult, ordering their Ways so, that they came not directly, but to the Left of the Gate. For by this means, the Besiegers were constrained to present to them that were upon the Walls the Right side, which was not covered with a Buckler.

The Figure of a strong place ought neither to be Square, nor composed of Angles that advance too far. But the Ancients made them with many Sinuosities or Corners, for Angles that are too far advanc'd, are more advantageous for the Besiegers, than the Besieged.

The thickness of the Wall was so ordered, that two Armed Men might walk by one another upon the Wall without justling.

They made their Walls strong and durable, with sindged Beams of Olive, which bound them and kept them up.

Although there be nothing that makes the Ramparts so strong as Earth, they had not for all that the Custom of making Terrasses, unless it were in some place where some Eminency was so near the Wall, that the Besiegers might easily enter.

To make the Terrasses strong, and to hinder the Earth from pushing down the two Walls that supported it, they made Buttresses or Counter-forts which went from one Wall to another, to the end, that the Earth being divided into many parts, might not have that weight to push the Walls.

Their Towers were round, for those that are square are easily ruin'd by their War-like Engines, and their Battering easily broke down the Corners.

Directly against the Tower, the Wall was cut off within the breadth of the Tower, and the Walls so interrupted were only joyned with Joyces, which were not nailed down; to the end, that if the Enemy made themselves Masters of some part of the Wall, the Besieged might take up this Bridge made of Joists, and hinder their further advance.

THE second Sort of Publick Fabricks, which are those that belong to Religion are the Temples, Lib. 4.

Chap. 4. which among the Ancients were of two Sorts; some were after the Greek, and some after the Tuscan Fashion.

The Temples after the Tuscan Fashion were Square, the Greeks made them sometimes Round, sometimes Square; in the Square Temples of the Greeks, there are three Things to be considered, viz. The Parts that compose it, the Proportion of the Temple, and its Aspect.

The Parts of the Square Temples, were for the most part Five; for they had almost every one of them a Porch before the Temple called Pronaos, and another Porch behind the Temple, called Posticum, or Opisthedomos, the middle of the Temple, called Cella, or Sacos; the Portico’s or Isles, and the Gate.

The Porch was a place covered at the Entrance at the greatest part of Temples, being as broad as the whole Temple. There were three sorts of them. Some were surrounded with Pillars on three Sides; Others had only Pillars in the Front, the Sides of the Porch being made up by the continuation of the Side-Walls of the Temple; Others were made up at the Sides, partly by Pillars, and partly by the Continuation of the Side-Walls of the Temple.

The Posticum of the Temple was equal to the Porch, having likewise a Gate, but all Temples had not Posticums, though almost every Temple had its Pronaos, or Porch.

The Middle of the Temple, called Cella, was a place inclosed with four Walls, having no Light but at the Gate, unless it were uncovered, as we shall shew hereafter.

The Portico’s which make the Isles, were ranks of Pillars, sometimes single, sometimes double, which stood along the Sides of the Temple on the out-side: some Temples wanted this part.

The Gates of the Temples were different according to the difference of the Order of the Architecture, according to which the Temple was built: there was the Dorick, the Ionick, and the Attick.

The height of the Dorick Gate was taken by dividing into 3 parts and an half, the space which is from below to the bottom of the Plat-fond of the Portico, which Platfond was called Lacunar: they allow'd 2 to the height of the Gate under the Lintel: this height was divided into 12 parts; 5 and an half were taken for the breadth of the Gate below, for above it was straiter by a 3d. part. A 4th. part, and even an 8th. part of the Chambranle or Door-Case, according to the height of the Gate, which was to be less straitened above, the higher it was. The breadth of the Chambranle or Door-Case, was the 12th. part of the height of the Opening of the Gate.

The Chambranle or Door-Case grew straiter and straiter towards the top, viz. the 4th. part of its breadth: it was only edged with a Cymatium, with an Astragal.

Upon the Cymatium above the Chambranle or Door-Case, was a Frise called Hyperthyron, which had the same breadth with the Chambranle or Door-Case. Upon this Frise was placed a Dorick Cymatium, with a Lesbian Astragal; both of them jetting out very little.

Upon the Moulures the Flat-Crown was placed, with its little Cymatium, which jetted out the whole breadth above of the Chambranle or Door-Case, with its Mould.

The height of the Ionick Gates was taken as those of the Dorick; but to have the right breadth, they divided the height into 2 parts and an half: To allow them one and an half below, it was straitned at the top, as the Dorick Gate was; the breadth of the Chambranle was the 14th. part of the height of the Opening of the Gate; this breadth of the Chambranle, or Door-Case, being divided into 6, one was allowed for the Cymatium, the rest being divided into 12, 3 were allowed to the 1st. Face comprising its Astragal, 4 to the 2d. and 5 to the 3d.

The Frise which is called Hyperthyron, was made with the same Proportions that are in the Dorick Order. The Consoles or Shouldering-Pieces, descended directly to the bottom of the Chambranle or Door-Case, without comprizing the Foliage or Leaf-work that they had at the bottom: The breadth above was the 3d. part of that of the Chambranle or Door-Case, and at the bottom they grew straiter by a 4th. part.

The Attick were like the Dorick, but their Chambranles or Door-Cases had only a Plat-band under the Cymatium, and this Plat-band or Face, had only the breadth of 2 parts in 7, into which was divided all the rest of the Chambranle or Door-Case with its Mouldings.

The Proportion of the Temples was so ordered, that they were twice as long as broad, but it is not to be understood precisely, but only of Temples Lib. 3.

Chap. 3. that were without Pillars, whose length was divided into 8, and 4 were allowed for the breadth.

The Temples which had Pillars round about, could Lib. 4.

Chap. 4.

Lib. 3.

Chap. 3. not have this double Proportion; for as much as the length had only the double of the intercolumniations, and by consequence a Pillar less than the double of the Pillars before and behind.

The Aspect of the Temples signifies two things in Vitruvius, viz. The Disposition of the parts of the Temple, in respect of one another, and the Disposition in respect of the Heavens.

As to what regards the Disposition of the Temple in respect of the Heavens, the Ancients always observed to turn them toward the Sun-rising, if the place were not ill-disposed for it, and that some great Street obliged them to turn it otherwise.

As to what belongs to the Disposition of the parts, viz. of the Porch, Porticum, Isles or Oiles within the Temple and the Gates, it was different in the Temples which were without Pillars, and in those which had Pillars.

The Temples without Pillars, were those that were not 20 Foot broad, the length of these Temples being divided Lib. 4.

Chap. 4. into 8, 4 were allowed for the breadth, 5 for the length of the Temple within, and 3 for the Porch.

The Temples which had Pillars were of 8 sorts; The 1st. and the most Simple, was that which was called Ad Antes, because in this sort of Lib. 3.

Chap. 1. Temples, there were only 2 Pillars in the Face or Front before, betwixt 2 Antes. There was 3 sorts of these Temples.

The First and the most Simple, had 2 Pillars before the Face of the Temple, at whose Corners there were 2 Antes, and the 2 Pillars supported a Piedement or Fronton.

The Second Sort had likewise but 2 Pillars, but they were between 2 Antes upon the same Line with the Antes; and these Antes with the 2 Pillars, made up the Face of the Porch of the Temple.

The Third Sort was, when betwixt 2 Pillars which were at the Face before, which made up the Porch, there were likewise 2 others within the Porch; these Pillars within, were not so thick as those without, although they were of an equal height; but to the end they might seem as thick as those without, they made more Channellings, for the most part 28 or 32, supposing those without had 24; this was done to get more room within the Porch. These Temples had also this particular to themselves, that the Front of the Porch was closed with Partitions of Marble or Joyner’s-Work, which ran from the Ante of one of the Corners to its neighbouring Pillar, and from this Ante to the other Pillar, and from this Pillar to the other Ante.

The second Sort of Temples, with Pillars, was called Prostyle; which differ'd not from the first, but in this, that besides the 2 Pillars of the Temple, Ad Antes, there were two others directly on the Angular Antes.

The Third Sort was called Amphiprostyle; because it had Pillars as well behind as before.

The Fourth Sort was the Periptere, which in the Front, as well as behind, had 6 Pillars, and 12 on every side, counting those of the Corners: the distance which was between the Pillars and the Walls, was equal to that which was between the Pillars.

The Fifth, the Pseud-diptere, viz. False Diptere, it had 8 Pillars in the Front, and as many behind, and 15 on every side, counting those of the Corners: the Pillars were distant from the Wall, the space of 2 Intercolumniations, and the thickness of a Pillar.

The Sixth Sort was the Diptere, which had 8 Pillars before and behind, and 2 rows round about.

The Seventh Sort was called Hypethre, because the inner part of the Temple was uncovered, it had 10 Pillars before and behind; and as to the rest, it was like the Diptere, but in this particular to it self, that all about it had two Orders of Pillars, at a little distance from the Wall, to make Portico’s, as in the Peristyles.

The Eighth was called Pseudo-Periptere, or False Periptere; for the Disposition of the Pillars was equal to that of the Pillars of the Periptere: This Temple having 6 Pillars in the Front, and behind, and 11 in the Isles or Wings; but the Disposition of the Walls of the Temple was different in this, that they extended even to the Pillars, which made no Portico, for they were joyned to the Walls, except those of the Porch which were insulated, or stood alone like Islands.

The Round Temples were of 2 sorts; The first were called Monopteres, because they had no Walls, having only an Isle or Wing; viz. Pillars which supported a Coupe. Their Proportion was, that dividing the whole Temple into three, one part was allowed for the Steps upon which the Pillars were placed, which had their height equal to the distance that there was from one Pillar, to that which was Diametrically opposite to it.

The Second Sort which was called Periptere, had Pillars upon their Basis round about the Temple, the space that was between the Basis and the Wall was the 5th. part of the whole Temple, and the Diameter of the Temple within, was equal to the height of the Pillar.

The Temples after the Tuscan fashion were square, having 5 parts in length and 4 in breadth; the Porch which was as great as the rest of the Temple, had 4 Pillars in the Front; the Sides were closed half by the Continuation of the Walls of the Temple, half by 2 Angular Pillars; and there were likewise 2 Pillars in the middle of the Porch: The Temple had 2 Chappels within on each Side.

We find that the Ancients had 14 Sorts of Temples, viz. 1. The Temple without Pillars. 2. The Temple ad antes Simply. 3. The Temple ad Antes, with 2 Pillars upon the same Line with the Antes. 4. The Temple ad antes, with Pillars of an unequal Magnitude. 5. The Prostyle. 6. The Amphiprostyle. 7. The Periptere. 8. The Pseudo-diptere. 9. The Diptere. 10. The Hypethre. 11. The Pseudo-Periptere. 12. The Monoptere. 13. The Round Periptere. 14. The Tuscan. See the Tab. 2, 3, 4.

THE Third Sort of Publick Fabricks are those which are Built for the Convenience and Use of all Lib. 5.

Chap. 1. People; and there are Six Sorts of them, viz. Market-Places, Basilica’s, Theatres, Gates, Baths and Academies.

The Market-Places among the Greeks were surrounded with Pillars close one against another. Among the Romans, the Pillars which environed the Market-Places, had larger Intercolumniations, for they made Peristyles, under which were Shops.