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Quote by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

“In the midst of all this great variety of subjects, an individual cannot attain to perfection in each, because it is scarcely in his power to take in and comprehend the general theories of them.”

Quote by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Author

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, a renowned Roman architect, engineer, and writer, lived from 81 BC to 15 AD. He is considered one of the founders of Roman architecture and is best known for his work 'De Architectura', which has had a profound impact on the development of architecture throughout history. more

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“Pytheos made a mistake by not observing that the arts are each composed of two things, the actual work and the theory of it. One of these, the doing of the work, is proper to men trained in the individual subject, while the other the theory is common to all scholars.”

Men Art Made Two Individual Common Mistake Subjects Theory Two Things Scholar Observing Made A Mistake

Author:Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

“Propriety is that perfection of style which comes when a work is authoritatively constructed on approved principles. It arises from prescription, from usage, or from nature.”

Principles Style Perfection Arise Prescriptions Approved Usage Propriety

Author:Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

“From prescription, in the case of hypaethral edifices, open to the sky, in honor of Jupiter Lightning, the Heaven, the Sun, or the Moon: for these are gods whose semblances and manifestations we behold before our very eyes in the sky when it is cloudless and bright.”

Eye Heaven Cases Sun Sky Honor Moon Manifestation Lightning Prescriptions Edifice Jupiter Semblance

Author:Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

“Heat is a universal solvent, melting out of things their power of resistance, and sucking away and removing their natural strength with its fiery exhalations so that they grow soft, and hence weak, under its glow.”

Grows Natural Weak Universal Resistance Heat Melting Fiery

Author:Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

“While all bodies are composed of the four elements, that is, of heat, moisture, the earthy, and air, yet there are mixtures according to natural temperament which make up the natures of all the different animals of the world, each after its kind.”

World Kind Different Body Natural Animal Four Air Elements Heat Temperament Mixtures Moisture Different Animals Four Elements

Author:Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

“Dimension stone, flint, rubble, burnt or unburnt brick, use them as you find them. For it is not every neighborhood or particular locality that can have a wall built of burnt brick like that at Babylon, where there was plenty of asphalt to take the place of lime and sand, and yet possibly each may be provided with materials of equal usefulness so that out of them a faultless wall may be built to last forever.”

May Use Lasts Forever Particular Materials Wall Equal Built Stones Plenty Dimensions Sand Neighborhood Bricks Usefulness Babylon Rubble Limes Locality Asphalt

Author:Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

“Cold winds are disagreeable, hot winds enervating, moist winds unhealthy.”

Wind Cold Hot Unhealthy Disagreeable Cold Wind

Author:Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

“But as for me, Emperor, nature has not given me stature, age has marred my face, and my strength is impaired by ill health. Therefore, since these advantages fail me, I shall win your approval, as I hope, by the help of my knowledge and my writings.”

Writing Helping Age Faces Winning Given Failing Advantage Ill Approval Emperor Stature Ill Health

Author:Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

“Bricks should be made in Spring or Autumn so that they may dry uniformly.”

Should May Made Spring Dry Autumn Bricks

Author:Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

“Bricks will be most serviceable if made two years before using; for they cannot dry thoroughly in less time. When fresh undried bricks are used in a wall, the stucco covering stiffens and hardens into a permanent mass, but the bricks settle and the motion caused by their shrinking prevents them from adhering to it, and they are separated from their union with it. At Utica in constructing walls they use brick only if it is dry and made five years previously, and approved as such by the authority of a magistrate.”

Ifs Years Made Two Use Used Five Wall Authority Mass Unions Permanent Settling Dry Five Years Two Years Bricks Covering Approved Shrinking Magistrates

Author:Marcus Vitruvius Pollio