1. Introduction and context for comparison
L’Antiquité Classique 83 (2014), p. 15-30. 1 Many thanks to Daniel Lund, Duane W. Roller, Cobey L. Russell and Rudyard C. Wallen for their helpful comments and advice.
2 For a thorough and sensitive commentary on Book 6, see CALLEBAT (2004). For an English translation with helpful notes and figures, see ROWLAND-HOWE (1999).
3 5.12.7 : Quae necessaria ad utilitatem in civitatibus publicorum locorum succurrere mihi potuerunt, quemadmodum constituantur et perficiantur, in hoc volumine scripsi ; privatorum autem aedificiorum utilitates et eorum symmetrias insequenti volumine ratiocinabor (“ In the present volume I have recorded those things that are necessary to facilitate the function of public places in cities, as they have occurred to me. Now, in the next volume, I shall discuss the functions of private buildings and their symmetries”). Translations, unless otherwise noted, are of ROWLAND-HOWE (1999).
4 Greek philosophy : 6. praef. 1-3. Importance of education : 6. praef. 3-4. Vitruvius’ own education : 6. praef. 4-5. Practice of architecture : 6. praef. 7.
5 Portrait of gentes : 6.1.3-11. The musical analogue is the sambyke : 6.1.5-7. The zoological analogue is the snake : 6.1.9. The astronomical analogue : 6.1.11.
6 6. praef. 7 : igitur, quoniam in quinto de opportunitate communium operum perscripsi, in hoc volumine privatorum aedificiorum ratiocinates et commensus symmetriarum explicabo
(“ Therefore, because in the fifth book I wrote about the proper construction of public buildings, in this volume I shall explain the calculations for private buildings, and the dimensions of their symmetries”). 6.1.1 : igitur, uti constitutio mundi ad terrae spatium inclinatione signiferi circuli et solis cursu disparibus qualitatibus naturaliter est conlocata, ad eundem modum etiam ad regionum rationes caelique varietates videntur aedificiorum debere dirigi conlocationes
(“ Therefore, just as the firmament has been established along the earth with the signbearing circle and the course of the sun placed naturally at an incline and with dissimilar qualities, so
Amor and Roma: Understanding Vitruvius through Eryximachus’ Erotic logos in Plato’s Symposium1
Book 6 of Vitruvius’ de architectura is a book ostensibly about private houses. 2 “ Ostensibly” is key here because, while much of the book is in fact dedicated to matters pertaining to private houses, the preface and first chapter have virtually nothing at all about these dwellings. At the end of Book 5, Vitruvius announces that, having talked about public buildings and spaces, he is turning in Book 6 to private dwellings. 3 The reader’s expectations are met with some surprise then when in the
praefatio Vitruvius talks not of private houses, but of Greek philosophy, of the importance of education, of his own education, and of the practice of architecture. 4
The element of surprise continues in chapter 1 where Vitruvius provides a portrait of the various physiologies and characteristics of gentes to the north and to the south – a portrait illustrated by way of musical, zoological and astronomical analogues. 5
Nowhere, in other words, other than a few brief remarks, 6 does the construction of private houses appear, at the start of the book dedicated to as much.
