Vitruv

Vitruvius, known in full as Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, was a Roman architect and engineer active in the late Republic or early Empire. The only ancient text on architecture to survive in full is his De architectura libri decem (Ten Books on Architecture). Written as a practical guide for builders and patrons, the work surveys architecture and related arts, including city planning, building materials, hydraulics, fortress and theater design, and the use of machines.

In De architectura, Vitruvius outlines a holistic theory of architecture that remains influential: architecture should be durable (firmitas), useful (utilitas), and beautiful (venustas). He discusses proportion and the use of the classical orders, insisting that good design arises from mathematical rules and the study of human measurements. The book also provides technical detail on construction methods, water supply, surveying, and the machinery used in building projects.

Vitruvius' treatise had a profound influence on later generations, especially during the Renaissance, when it was rediscovered and widely studied by architects such as Alberti, Palladio, and their pupils. Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Vitruvian Man draws on Vitruvius’ ideas about human proportion. The work shaped architectural education for centuries and remains a key source for understanding ancient building practice.

Little is known about Vitruvius’ life beyond what can be inferred from his book. He is generally dated to the late 1st century BCE, and his political or military career, if any, is not well documented. His legacy rests on De architectura, which remains the primary source for classical architectural theory.