Historical Quest: The
Garden House of Ostia was constructed in the 2nd century,
in the city of Ostia, whose population reached 50,000
at its peak. (See the "What in the World" comment at the
beginning of Chapter 7.) This city was a major port of
Rome, which was about 25 km away. The Garden Houses are
of interest because of the geometry used in its construction.
The key to its construction, according to archaeologists
Donald and Carol Watts, is a "sacred cut." In searching
the records of the architect Vitruvius they found that
the basic pattern begins with a square (called the reference
square) and its diagonals. Next quarter circles centered
on the corners of the square are drawn, each with a radius
equal to half of the diagonal. The arcs pass through the
center of the square and intersect two adjoining sides;
together they cut the sides into three segments, with
the central segment being larger than the other two. By
connecting the intersection points, you can divide the
reference square into nine parts, as described in the
article. At the center of the grid is another square that
can serve as the foundation for the next sacred cut. Experiment
by drawing or quilting some "sacred cut" designs.
References:
"A Roman Apartment Complex," by Donald J. Watts and Carol
Martin Watts. Scientific American, December 1986,
pp. 132-139.
An historical reference, along with a very interesting
site on the Garden Houses of Ostia is found at this site:
http://www.ostia-antica.org/indexes.htm
