Written in the years of Augustus, "On Architecture" is the only text of its kind from the ancient world that has endured through the ages.

This work, which has influenced the evolution of Western science and the art of construction more than any other, reflects an entire civilization.

The thoughts of Aristotle and Hippocrates, of Posidonius and Varro, of Archimedes and Hermogenes weave the canvas upon which Vitruvius develops his theory on the layout of cities and the properties of the Theraean land.

It provides instructions for the design of the Ionic capital and the foundations on swampy grounds, describes the odometer and the measuring rod.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]