‹‹‹ Vitr. 2.10.2 | Table of Contents | Vitr. 3.0.1 ›››
3To the best of my ability I have treated on the materials necessary for building, and their natural temperaments in respect of the different proportions of the elements which they contain, as well as on their good and bad qualities, in order that those who build may be well informed thereon. Those who follow my directions, and choose a proper material for the purpose whereto it is applied, will do right. Having thus considered the preparations to be made, we shall proceed, in the following books, to the consideration of buildings themselves, and first, to that of the temples of the immortal gods, and their symmetry and proportions as the importance of the subject requires, which will form the subject of the following book.
3To the best of my mature consideration, I have now treated the materials which are necessary in the construction of buildings, the proportionate amount of the elements which are seen to be contained in their natural composition, and the points of excellence and defects of each kind, so that they may be not unknown to those who are engaged in building. Thus those who can follow the directions contained in this treatise will be better informed in advance, and able to select, among the different kinds, those which will be of use in their works. Therefore, since the preliminaries have been explained, the buildings themselves will be treated in the remaining books; and first, as due order requires, I shall in the next book write of the temples of the immortal gods and their symmetrical proportions.