De Architectura

  • De Architectura was a Work in ten books by the Roman Engineer Vitruvius (c.88 BCE-c.15 CE), where he describes how Aqueducts and other buildings were constructed and the machines used to build them.

Vitruvius

  • Marcus Vitruvius Pollio was a Roman Engineer.
  • Dates uncertain: Possibly born c. 88 BCE and died c. 26 BCE or 1 BCE or 15 CE.
  • Vitruvius describes in ‘The Ten Books on Architecture’ how the Romans built their Aqueducts and other Great Works. This knowledge was lost until he was rediscovered during the Renaissance.

De Architectura in 10 Books:

  • ‘De Architectura libri decem’ meaning ‘The ten books on Architecture’.
    • He describes the construction of Aqueducts.
    • He describes in detail the machines used in the building of great works.

Book I

  • Town Planning and Architecture. (Civil Engineering)
  • And the qualifications required of the Civil Engineer (Architect).

Book II

  • Building materials: bricks, stone, concrete, timber.

Book III

  • Temples and the Orders of Architecture: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian.

Book IV

  • Book III continued.

Book V

  • Civic Buildings.

Book VI

  • Domestic buildings.

Book VII

  • Pavements and Plasterwork.

Book VIII

Book IX

  • Geometry, Astronomy, Measurements, Sundials and Waterclocks:
    • Book IX describes every known Sundial with its Greek inventor, and types of Waterclock.
  • The Anaphoric clock:
    • Vitruvius describes an anaphoric clock in Alexandria in Book IX, Chap.8. 8-15.
    • It was probably a waterclock, identical or certainly very similar to the Tower of Winds in Athens.
    • The clock had a rotating field of stars behind a wire frame which indicated the time of day.
    • The wire frame and star map were constructed using Stereographic Projection.

Book X

  • Machines: Siege Machines, Catapults, Waterwheels, Hoisting machines:
    • Book X describes how to construct waterwheels and catapults
  • The Technique of moving huge Stone Blocks.
    • Vitruvius cites two examples of how to move stone blocks:
    • A Cylindrical column:
      • A bolt was inserted into the centre of each end, and each was attached to a shaft. Oxen could then be hooked up to the two shafts with chains and harnesses, and the Block would rotate like an axle..
    • For a square Stone Block:
      • Each end was encased in a wooden wheel. Again, a bolt was inserted into the hub of each wheel and attached to a shaft. Oxen then hauled the Stone Block which again rolled like an axle behind them.

 

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