Vitruvius - Lists of Names Given in Book VII Introduction

Lists of Names Given in Book VII Introduction

In book seven's introduction Vitruvius goes through great lengths to present his credentials for writing De Architectura. Similar in concept to a modern day reference section, the author's position as one who is knowledgeable and educated is established. The topics listed range across many fields of expertise reflecting that in Roman times as today construction is a diverse field. Vitruvius makes the further point that the work of some of the most talented are unknown, while many who are of lesser talent but greater political position are famous. This theme runs through Vitruvius’s ten books repeatedly. Here in the introduction to Chapter 7, he illustrates this by naming what he considers are the most talented individuals in history. He predicts that some of these individuals will be forgotten and their works lost despite their contribution while other less deserving political characters of history will be forever remembered with pageantry; the red links below do not have a Wikipedia page and outside of inclusion on Vitruvius’s list under a categorization, nothing is known of them. Ironically, they may be unknown because the ancient Library of Alexandria was accidentally burned in 48 BC during a siege by Julius Caesar. Vitruvius does not mention the architecture of Egypt so was probably not involved in this siege.

• List of physicists Thales, Democritus, Anaxagoras, Xenophanes
• List of philosophers Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, Epicurus
• List of kings Croesus, Alexander the Great, Darius
• On plagiarism Aristophanes, Ptolemy I Soter, Attalus
• On abusing dead authors Zoilus Homeromastix, Ptolemy II Philadelphus
• On divergence of the visual rays Agatharchus, Aeschylus, Democritus, Anaxagoras
• List of writers on temples Silenus, Theodorus, Chersiphron and Metagenes, Ictinus and Carpion, Theodorus the Phocian, Hermogenes, Arcesius, Satyrus and Pytheos
• List of Artists Leochares, Bryaxis, Scopas, Praxiteles, Timotheus (Timotheos)
• List of writers on laws of symmetry Nexaris, Theocydes, Demophilus, Pollis, Leonidas, Silanion, Melampus, Sarnacus, Euphranor
• List of writers on machinery Diades of Pella, Archytas, Archimedes, Ctesibius, Nymphodorus, Philo of Byzantium, Diphilus, Democles, Charias, Polyidus of Thessaly, Pyrrus, Agesistratus, Abdaraxus
• List of writers on architecture Fuficius, Terentius Varro, Publius Septimius (writer)
• List of architects Antistates, Callaeschrus, Antimachides, Pormus, Cossutius
• List of greatest temple architects Chersiphron of Gnosus, Metagenes, Demetrius, Paeonius the Milesian, Ephesian Daphnis, Ictinus, (Philo) Philon, Cossutius, Gaius Mucius