Vitruvius and Later Roman Building Manuals

An edition and translation of Faventinus’ Compendium of Vitruvius’ De architectura. There is an introductory account of the relationship between Vitruvius and the world of Faventinus and Palladius, both of whom made great use of Vitruvian material, Palladius apparently deriving it exclusively from Faventinus. But they did not borrow it slavishly. Both adapted it and added to it in the light of the practical concerns of their own day and technical developments not available to Vitruvius. Dr Plommer holds the view, orthodox since Nohl, that Faventinus wrote in the early fourth century AD and Palladius probably a century later. The text has a translation on facing pages and is followed by a commentary on the main points of interest in it. This is the first translation of the text to appear and the book will be of interest to historians of technology and of architecture in the ancient world, as well as to classicists.