Archimedes Texts

182
seem to be truly publick, as they are designed
for the Use of all the People in general, both
noble and vulgar: But there are still some other
Works of a publick Nature, which are for the
Use only of the principal Citizens, and of the
Magistrates; as for Instance, the Senate-house
and Council-chambers, whereof we are now
to give some Account.

Of the proper Ornaments for the Senatc-house and Council-chambers, as also of
the adorning the City with Groves, Lakes for Swimming, Libraries, Schools,
publick Stables, Arsenals and Mathematical Instruments.

Plato appointed the Council to be held
in a Temple, and the Romans had a de
termined Place for that Purpose, which they
called their Comitium. At Ceraunia there
was a thick Grove, consecrated to Jupi
ter, in which the Greeks used to meet to con
sult about the Affairs of their State, and many
other Cities used to hold their Councils in the
Middle of the publick Forum. It was not
lawful for the Roman Senate to meet in any
Place that was not appointed by Augury, and

they commonly chose some Temple. After
wards they erected Curiæ, or Courts for that
particular Purpose, and Varro tells us, that
these were of two Sorts: One in which the
Priests consulted about religious Matters; the
other where the Senate regulated secular Affairs.
Of the peculiar Properties of each of these I can
find nothing certain; unless we may be allow
ed to conjecture, that the former had some Re
semblance to a Temple, the latter to a Basili
que. The Priests Court therefore may have a
vaulted Roof, and that of the Senators a flat
one. In both, the Members of the Council are
to declare their Opinion, by speaking; and
therefore Regard is to be had in these Edifices
to the Sound of the Voice. For this Reason
there ought to be something to prevent the
Voice from ascending too high and being lost,
and especially in vaulted Roofs to prevent it
from thundering in the Top of the Vault and
deafening the Hearers: Upon which Account,
as well for Beauty as for this necessary Use, the
Wall ought to be crowned with a Cornice. I
find from Observation of the Structures of this
Sort left by the Ancients, that they used to
make their Courts square. The Height of their
vaulted Courts was six sevenths of the Breadth
of the Front, and the Roof was a plain Arch.
Just opposite to the Door the Beholder's Eye
was struck with the Tribunal, the Sagitta
whereof was the Third of its Chord: The
Breadth of the Aperture of the Door, was one
seventh of the whole Front. At half the
Height of the Wall, and one eighth Part of
that half, projected an Architrave, Freze and
Cornice upon an Order of Columns, either close
or thin set, as the Architect liked best, accord
ing to the Rules of the Colonades and Porti
coes of a Temple. Over the Cornice on the
right and left Sides, in certain Niches opened
in the Wall, were Statues and other Figures
of religious Veneration, but in the Front at the
same Height with those Niches, was a Window
twice as broad as high, with two little Columns
in the Middle of it, to support the Transom.
This was the Structure of the Priests Court.
The Court for the Senators may be as follows:
The Breadth of the Platform must be two
thirds of its Length. The Height to the Rafters
of the Roof must be equal to the Breadth of
the Platform, with the Addition of one fourth
Part of that Breadth. The Wall must be crown
ed with a Cornice, according to the following
Rule. Having divided the whole clear Height
into nine Parts, one of those Parts must be
given to the solid Basement, or continued Pe
destal of the Columns, and against this Base
ment must be the Seats for the Senators. The
Remainder must afterwards be divided into
seven Parts, whereof four must be given to the
first Row of Columns, over which you must
raise another, both with their proper Bases,
Capitals, Architraves, Frezes and Cornices, in
the Manner before prescribed for a Basilique.
The Intervals between the Columns on each
Side, must always be in an odd Number, and
all equal to each other; but in Front, those
Intervals must be no more than three, the
Middlemost whereof must be one fourth Part
broader than the other two. In every Interval
in the upper Row of Columns must be a Win
dow, this Sort of Courts requiring as much
Light as possible, and under each Window must