On Architecture

Vitruvius' classic work on architecture is the only book of its kind to survive antiquity. Vitruvius was himself an architect and engineer, but this is not a handbook for professionals; rather it serves readers who want to understand architecture. Book 1 discusses town planning and architecture in general; Book 2, building materials; 3 and 4, temples and the architectural orders; 5, other civic buildings; 6, houses; 7, pavements, mosaics, and wall decoration; 8, water supply; 9, measurements; 10, machines. In his preface Vitruvius takes note of the "eminent dignity" of the public buildings Augustus constructed, which express "the majesty of the empire."