We continue with this analytical route of the extraordinary work of the

great mentor Vitruvius.

Now we will see the Book V, which tells us about the great public
works, theaters, baths, palaestra, ports and buildings built on water.
The fifth book of the play develops the following topics:
Public Buildings. Forums, Basilicas, Senate House, etc. Theatres; their
harmonic situation, the scene, Greek theaters. Bathrooms. Palaestra.
Ports and buildings built on water.
The forum and basilicas
The Greeks built their forum square, with very large and double gates,
decorated with columns abundant with stone or marble architraves and
placed on the upper floors a few rides.
The basilicas are near post, must be on the warm side, so that in
winter is possible to go into business without the inconveniences of
bad weather.
The Treasury, Prison and the Senate House
The treasury, prison and the senate house should be adjacent to the
forum, so that all its proportions are in line with the same forum. The
treasury was a place where the public treasury of the city is saved and
the senate house was a subdivision of the town, more or less identified
with a tribe.
How to build a theater for a healthier situation
Once that the forum has been established, the most favorable and
healthy place for the theater, where games are developed during the
days dedicated to the immortal gods should be chosen, as is said in
the first book, to discuss conditions more salubrious in the construction
of cities.
Everything will be much easier if the foundations sit on a hill; but if the
terrain requires building the theater in a flat or marshy place, the
foundations must be deepened and settle as we said in the third book,
to discuss the foundations of temples.

It should also be noted that the place does not drown the voice but let
it spread quite clearly what can be achieved if you choose a place
where no resonances occur.
The harmonics
When the voice through changes or alterations is modulated, it is
sometimes serious, sometimes acute. The voice is articulated in two
ways: one has a long continuity is interrupted and a different intervals.
Modulations classes are three: the first is called in Greek
enharmonic; the second chromatic and third diatonic .
The 'harmonic' artistically modulation forms and therefore his singing
has an extraordinary and important presence. The "color" modulation,
due to its exquisite subtlety and the contiguity of their sounds,
produces a very pleasing result. Modulation "diatonic" is more natural,
has greater separation from their breaks or intervals and is of great
simplicity.

The sounding vessels in the theater

In line with these laws and based on mathematical calculations a
bronze vessels will be in proportion to the size of the theater. They will
be manufactured so that when they hit an agreed emit sound in fourth,
fifth and, following an order, to the double octave.
Following this method, the voice that expands from the scene, as if
from the center, is spreading and hitting the pockets of each of these
vessels, achieves higher volume; clarity enhanced by the vessel having
increases the chord tone with her. Conversely, if the theater will be
larger, divide your height into four parts and leave three sets or
transverse rows of cells, one for the harmonica, one for color and one
for the diatonic.
Many of us will think that every year have risen in Rome many theaters
that do not respect at all the rules we have reflected; but we were
wrong in one important respect: public theaters are built with wood
and have so much force that filed achieve good acoustics, as we can
see to hear the actors sing accompanied by sitars and if they wish to
sing a sharper tone, simply turn toward the doors of the stage and thus
help to further enhance the resonance of his voice. But when the
theaters are built with solid materials, like, masonry, stone or marble
that prevent the resonance of the voices, then it must resort to the
vessels of bronze, as described above.
Currently there are modern to better capture the acoustics inside the
theaters, auditoriums or other techniques. But it is very interesting to

know, how did our ancestors, since from them have perfected the
techniques.

The plan of the theater

The plant or theater setup should be ordered as follows: According to
the diameter of the lower part (orchestra), draw a circle taking as
center the midpoint of this diameter and describe four equilateral
triangles, at equal distance, they touch circular line.
The length of the stage should measure twice the diameter of the
orchestra. The height of the podium or pedestal will be flush with the
height of the stand, which will be one-twelfth of the diameter of the
orchestra, including the cornice and cymatium.
However, it is not possible for all theaters adapt to these proportions of
symmetry in totality, it is appropriate that the architect was concerned
to observe the precise proportions to form symmetry, adapt them to
their configuration and size of his work.
About choosing places for harmonics in theaters
After setting out in detail and carefully the above, you must now put
maximum attention to the topic at hand. Indeed, it must be taken into
account the place that is chosen, where the deployment of the voice is
softly and not be hampered by any element, becoming
incomprehensible. There are several places that, naturally, hinder the
vibrations of the voice -dissonant-, causing a false echo; or places that
reproduce by the echo sounds, which the Greeks call periechountes; or
places with resonances, and there are other places where voice
rumbles.
Dissonant are places where the first voice, rising clashes with higher
solids, preventing falls is rejected and the elevation of the following
voices; circunsonantes are the places where the voice, to spread
everywhere, off its intermediate sounds and fades unmarked endings,
offering a very uncertain meaning; resonant are places where the
voice, colliding with a solid element, rising, wrongly articulated,
producing a double sound to the ear; places consonants in the voice,
enhanced by the lower parts will rise with increased volume and
reaches the ear with a very clear meaning. Therefore, if a particular
care in the choice of locations for theater sets, the problem of voice
actors prudently is remedied under the terms of their effectiveness.

With these differences are indicated the various paths of the theaters:
the ones that are squares are designed to follow the mode of the
Greeks and the ones that are designed with equilateral triangles are
Latin. If someone wants to use these standards will achieve great
success in building theaters.

Colonnades and walks

Backstage must be arranged with a porch so the public can be
collected from the theater, if for any occasion rain, the public had
shelter.
The provisions and parts of the bathrooms
For bathrooms, you should choose a warm place opposite the north
wind. In a room with hot tubs the light must enter through the west
side; if the nature or location of the site does not permit, in which case
it will take the noonday light, as the time set in the bathrooms, running
from noon to sunset.
The way they have constructed the palaestras
In the lectures square or elongated peristyles be formed; walk the
perimeter of the two bypasses stadiums measured in Greek diaulos;
three portals are simple and fourth gate will double, which will be
oriented to the south so that when severe storms accompanied by
wind, water can not penetrate inside. In the three simple porches there
will be spacious "chat rooms" with sits, where they can present their
views and can discuss philosophers, rhetoricians and other scientists
who are pleasing these studies will be located.
The colonnades should be distributed in the fray, as previously
described. Outside the arena they will open three portals: one for those
who leave the peristyle and the other two on the right and left, so that
athletes are exercised; these two porches, one will be oriented to the
north, It will have double columns and an extraordinary breadth; the
other gate will be simple; between the proximal portion to the wall and

between which it is next to the columns limits to be drawn, for paths,

dug in its middle part, the width of not less than ten feet.
The ports and masonry underwater
If the ports are favorably positioned naturally, they have to have
criteria or protruding promontories, which will be formed following the
nature of the place, drawing a bow or breasts, as such structure
appears to offer great results. In the port take the shipyards will rise, or
some hits that enable market entry; towers should be placed on both
sides and from these towers, by means of machines, be provided which
intersect chains.
It is important as through simple construction techniques, learned
empirically and then transmitted for generations, we have the
important basis for the construction of today.