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Hello, a little over 2,000 years ago, retired Roman soldier and engineer wrote what's probably the most influential book in the history of architecture.

The author's name was Vitruvius and his masterpiece, The Ten Books on Architecture, is the oldest surviving work on the subject.

It offers not just practical advice for designing and building temples and houses, but also a fascinating range of information on Roman engineering and technology, from aqueducts to water clocks.

Vitruvius' theory is a beauty, influenced Leonardo, and were taken up by some of the greatest names of Renaissance architecture.

Every play in building, from the banketing hall in Whitehall to the White House, is indebted to Vitruvius.

His ideas remain central to architecture until the 18th century, and arguably long afterwards.

With me to discuss Vitruvius and architecture are Seraphina Cuomo, reader in Roman history at Berkbeck University of London, Robert Tavener,

emeritus professor of architecture and urban design at the London School of Economics, and Alice Kernig, lecturer in Latin and classical studies at the University of St. Andrews.

Seraphina Vitruvius has born about 90 BC and died 70 years later. Could you give us some idea of the Roman world in those 70 years?

Yes, it was a period of transition for Rome. After decades of civil wars, Rome was basically moving from being a republic to becoming what we now know as the Roman Empire.

A new leader emerged during Vitruvius' lifetime, Octavian, who later took on the name of Augustus, he was the adopted son of Julius Caesar, and Vitruvius had served under Julius Caesar.

Augustus established an empire after defeating all the remaining opponents, and in 31 BC he seemed to have become the sole ruler of Rome.

Some historians even called this period the Roman Revolution to give you an idea of how much things could be said to have changed.

So Vitruvius was writing at the time when there was political upheaval, new social groups were probably emerging and acquiring positions of power that they didn't have before.

And even high culture in the form of criticism about rhetoric and philosophy seemed to be taking into account that a change was on the way.

There's quite a bit of this in Shakespeare as well, but Vitruvius, as he fought with Caesar, we think in goal.

Yes, he says so in the treaties. He actually doesn't mention Julius Caesar by name, but in addressing the treaties to Octavian Augustus, he says that he had served with his father.

And he mentioned some of his colleagues, and he says that he was in charge of building catapults and other military machines.

He sort of siege missiles and attack missiles under ballistic missiles, but it seemed to be his speciality because there's quite a bit on that in his great book.

Is there much known about him? I mean, I say you've already said he seems to have served with you. There's not a great deal, then, is there?

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