VITRUVIUS. 
274 
nedted the whole frame!". being 1.— foot broad, and S. —thick. Upon thisthe capriols (0) 
were raised in height XII. fet. On the capiols a beam (P) was laid, that united the 
framing of the capriols. They had allo lateraria fixed transversely, the boarding upon which 
covered all the inferior parts. It had likewise a middle floor, supported upon little beams, 
wherein the scorpions and catapultas were placed. And two compact arrectaria (Q) were 
erected, being in height feet XXXV.: in thickness a foot and a half : in breadth II. feet, 
copioined at their tops with a tranfverse mortised beam (R, and with another (9) tenonted 
in the middle between the two shafts, and fastened with iron plates. There was moreover 
placed a moveable timber, laid acros within the shafts and the transverse piece, firmly held by 
chelonia and ancons. In this timber were two turned axles, from which the ropes (7) lup¬ 
ported the ram (UY). Above the top of these, that supported the ram, was placed a pla¬ 
much too small for the thickness of the posts, which Athe- 
neus says was ten digits, or seven inches and a half. These 
characters F. Z. therefore agree with the explication of 
Meibonius, given in the table of characters at the 15th 
chapter foregoing. 
(75) The marks ::: and :::, in several places of this 
and other chapters, appear to be not used as the sign of 
any number or measure, but rather as stops or periods of 
the discourse. Perrault however has thought differently, 
and has invariably translated them as signifying the frac- 
tion 1 of the integer, wherever they have occurred. Thave 
endeavoured to keep them in the translation in the same 
situation as in the original, which is the reason the name 
of the integer is sometimes placed before the number, or 
character, instead of being after it. 
(8*) The lateraria are explained in the foregoing 
chapter. 
(9*) Atheneus says this middle floor was placed upon 
the circumcluding beams before mentioned, which he 
calls epistylia. 
(10*) The height of these arrectaria, according to Athe¬ 
neus, was thirty cubits, equal to XXXXV. feet; it may 
therefore have been originally written XXXXV. by Vi¬ 
truvius, and the copyists have omitted an X. 
But in the breadth of these arrectaria Atheneus is pro¬ 
bably wrong; for he makes it but three palms, although 
he agrees with Vitruvius in the thickness being a foot 
and a half: and as it is not likely that that measure of 
the timber which is called its breadth should be less than 
that which is called its thickness, I am induced to think. 
that Atheneus may be, in this place, corrupted. Vi¬ 
truvius does not inform us where these arrectaria were 
raised; but Atheneus says it was in the middle of the 
testudo. 
(11*) « Quo insuper collocata erat alternis materies 
«« inter scapos et transversarium trajecta." The words 
alternis materies have been rendered by the translators 
alternate timbers ; but the preceding word erat, plainly 
indicates that they relate to a single object: and this is 
confirmed by Atheneus, who mentions it as a lingle 
piece of timber; so that the word alternis must here 
signify that the said piece was moveable, and could be 
placed alternately in different situations, higher or lower; 
thus raising or lowering the ram, which was suspended 
thereto. Perrault's idea of two ranges of holes, like those 
in the frames for embroidery, seems totally inapplicable, 
and unauthorized by the text. 
This moveable timber is faid to have been placed be- 
tween the shafts and transverse piece; which, as Perrault 
observes, is not possible, because those two parts join: but 
the meaning (in my idea) is, that the said moveable 
timber was placed within the space circumcluded by the 
shafts and transverse piece; the word inter being some- 
times used by Vitruvius in that sense, as was before 
noticed at the 6th chapter of the 8th book. 
(125) et Supra caput eorum qui continebant collocatum 
« erat pluteum." These words have also been generally 
rendered, * Over the head of those who managed the ram, 
ét was placed a pluteum:" but Atheneus says it was 
placed above the criodoke, or beam that supported the ram; 
and Heron's sketch and words describe it to be upon the 
top of the front of the tower. The word eorum therefore