‹‹‹ Vitr. 2.8.8 | Table of Contents | Vitr. 2.8.10 ›››
9This is not the practice in the case of brick walls, which, whilst they stand upright, are always valued at their first cost. Hence, in some states, not only public and private buildings, but even royal structures, are built of brick. We may instance that part of the wall at Athens towards Mounts Hymettus and Pentelicus, the temples of Jupiter and Hercules, in which the cells are of brick, whilst the columns and their entablatures are of stone, in Italy the antient and exquisitely wrought wall of Arezzo, and at Tralles a palace for the Attalic kings, which is the official residence of the priest. Some pictures painted on brick walls at Sparta, after being cut out, were packed up in wooden cases and transported to the Comitium to grace the Ædileship of Varro and Murena.
9In the case of brick walls, however, no deduction is made provided that they are still standing plumb, but they are always valued at what they cost to build. Hence in some states we may see public buildings and private houses, as well as those of kings, built of brick: in Athens, for example, the part of the wall which faces Mt. Hymettus and Pentelicus; at Patras, the cellae of the temple of Jupiter and Hercules, which are brick, although on the outside the entablature and columns of the temple are of stone; in Italy, at Arezzo, an ancient wall excellently built; at Tralles, the house built for the kings of the dynasty of Attalus, which is now always granted to the man who holds the state priesthood. In Sparta, paintings have been taken out of certain walls by cutting through the bricks, then have been placed in wooden frames, and so brought to the Comitium to adorn the aedileship of Varro and Murena.