The Ten Books on Architecture

Synopsis

The Ten Books on Architecture is written by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, an author of Roman Origin, an architect and engineer who has served as artilleryman in the military offices.

Probably the only surviving book on architecture from classical antiquity, this treatise on architecture states that a structure must exhibit the three qualities – it must be useful, solid and beautiful. The author states architecture is an imitation of nature, as birds built their nests human constructed houses from natural materials.

The author describes, the greatest work of architecture must be human body. While Vitruvius is mistakenly referred as the first architect, it must be appropriate to describe him as the first Roman author to write a surviving book on this subject.

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