the building. Finally, in
Athens, the temple of the Olympion with its dimensions on a generous
scale, and built in the Corinthian style and proportions, is said to
have been constructed, as written above, by Cossutius, no commentary by
whom has been found. But Cossutius is not the only man by whom we should
like to have writings on our subject. Another is Gaius Mucius, who,
having great knowledge on which to rely, completed the cella, columns,
and entablature of the Marian temple of Honour and Valour, in
symmetrical proportions according to the accepted rules of the art. If
this building had been of marble, so that besides the refinement of its
art it possessed the dignity coming from magnificence and great outlay,
it would be reckoned among the first and greatest of works.

18. Since it appears, then, that our architects in the old days, and a
good many even in our own times, have been as great as those of the
Greeks, and nevertheless only a few of them have published treatises, I
resolved not to be silent, but to treat the different topics
methodically in different books. Hence, since I have given an account of
private houses in the sixth book, in this, which is the seventh in
order, I shall treat of polished finishings and the methods of giving
them both beauty and durability.

CHAPTER I

FLOORS

1. First I shall begin with the concrete flooring, which is the most
important of the polished finishings, observing that great pains and the
utmost precaution must be taken to ensure its durability. If this
concrete flooring is to be laid level with the ground, let the soil be
tested to see whether it is everywhere solid, and if it is, level it off
and upon it lay the broken stone with its bedding. But if the floor is
either wholly or partly filling, it should be rammed down hard with
great care. In case a wooden framework is used, however, we must see
that no wall which does not reach up to the top of the house is
constructed under the floor. Any wall which is there should preferably
fall short, so as to leave the wooden planking above it an unsupported
span. If a wall comes up solid, the unyielding nature of its solid
structure must, when the joists begin to dry, or to sag and settle, lead
to cracks in the floor on the right and left along the line of wall.

2. We must also be careful that no common oak gets in with the winter
oak boards, for as soon as common oak boards get damp, they warp and
cause cracks