VITRUVIUS Pollio, Marcus, an ancient architect of great name, is sometimes represented as a native of Rome; but, if we may rely on the opinion of Maffei, there are divers reasons for supposing him to have been a native of Verona; and other writers are disposed to transfer the honour of his birth-place to Formiae, a city of Campania, and now called Mola di Gaeta. His praenomen is not less doubtful than his country. In the first edition of his work, he is called Lucius. A. appears in some manuscripts. but M., or Marcus, is most frequently to be found. Of his personal history, any notices which we possess are almost entirely derived from his own work. In the preface to the sixth book, he mentions that he was indebted to his parents for a good education. In the preface to the second, he speaks of himself as being small of stature, advanced in years, and having his strength impaired by disease. From the preface to the first, we learn that he was personally known to Julius Caesar; that after his death, he was recommended by Octavia to her brother Augustus; and from this emperor he obtained a permanent provision, which placed him beyond the fear of want. The services which he rendered were those of a military engineer: “Ad apparitionem balistarum, et scorpionum, reliquorumque tormentorum refectionem, fui praesto.” His treatise “De Architectura,” divided into ten books, is addressed to Augustus. This is a curious and valuable relique of ancient art and literature. The author was evidently a man of superior talents and learning, nor was his knowledge limited to one department: he indeed appears to have been instructed in general literature, and to have been well acquainted with the Greek writers.

The editio princeps of Vitruvius, superintended by Jo. Sulpicius Verulanus, is in folio, without place or date, but is supposed to have been printed at Rome about 1486. It is accompanied by the treatise of Frontinus, “De Aquaeductibus,” or, as it is there described, “De Aquis quae in Urbem influunt.” Both treatises were reprinted, Florent. 1496, fol. They were afterwards reprinted by Junta, Florent. 1513, 8vo. Passing various other editions of Vitruvius, we arrive at that of Guilielmus Philander, Lugd. 1552, 4to. The annotations of Philander, who is reckoned one of the principal commentators on this author, had formerly been published in a separate form, Romae, 1544, 8vo. This edition was followed by that of Daniel Barbarus, Venet. 1567, fol. After a long interval appeared the edition of Jo. de Laet, Lugd. Bat. 1649, fol. It is splendidly printed, but is less distinguished for accuracy. With the annotations of Philander, Barbarus, and others. It contains some appendages of less importance. One of these is a Latin translation of Sir Henry Wotton’s Elements of Architecture. A more suitable accompaniment is the “Lexico Vitruvianum” of Bernardinus Baldus. We now aescend to the edition of A. Rode, Berol. 1800, 2 tom. 4to. It was speedily followed by the edition of J. Glo. Schneider, Lips. 1807-8, 3 tom. 8vo. Another elaborate edition was afterwards undertaken, “textu ex recensione codicum emendato, cum exercitationibus notisque novissimis J. Poleni, et commentariis variorum, additis nunc primum studiis Simonis Stratico” Utini, 1825-9, tom. 1-3,4to. Whether the fourth and concluding volume has made its appearance, we have not ascertained. An English translation of Vitruvius was executed by William Newton, Lond. 1771-91, 2 parts, fol. Wilkins published a translation of “The Civil Architecture of Vitruvius, comprising those books of the author which relate to the public and private Edifices of the Ancients. With an introduction, containing an historical view of the rise and progress of architecture amongst the Greeks.” Lond. 1812-7, 2 vols. 4to. Of this work some copies are printed in large folio.