"Perhaps, to the uninformed, it may appear unaccountable that a man should be able to retain in his memory such a variety of learning; but the close alliance with each other, of the different branches of science, will explain the difficulty"
About this Quote
The justification he offers is elegant and strategic: knowledge sticks because it’s connected. “The close alliance…of the different branches of science” isn’t just an observation about memory; it’s a thesis about authority. If disciplines interlock, then the architect who understands geometry, materials, climate, acoustics, hydraulics, proportion, even medicine and law, isn’t dabbling. He’s uniquely qualified to coordinate a world that’s already woven together.
Context matters. Writing in the late Roman Republic/early Augustan period, Vitruvius is trying to elevate architecture from skilled labor to a learned art, worthy of patrons and emperors. His audience is the elite who commission buildings, and the subtext is a credential pitch: don’t dismiss the architect as a mere builder; he’s a synthesizer of systems.
It also reads like an early argument against siloed thinking. The “difficulty” isn’t remembering more facts; it’s accepting that competence can be interdisciplinary. Vitruvius offers a comforting explanation while quietly insisting on a higher standard: real mastery is relational, not encyclopedic.
Quote Details
| Topic | Knowledge |
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| Source | Help us find the source |
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Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Pollio, Marcus V. (2026, January 15). Perhaps, to the uninformed, it may appear unaccountable that a man should be able to retain in his memory such a variety of learning; but the close alliance with each other, of the different branches of science, will explain the difficulty. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/perhaps-to-the-uninformed-it-may-appear-161348/
Chicago Style
Pollio, Marcus V. "Perhaps, to the uninformed, it may appear unaccountable that a man should be able to retain in his memory such a variety of learning; but the close alliance with each other, of the different branches of science, will explain the difficulty." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/perhaps-to-the-uninformed-it-may-appear-161348/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Perhaps, to the uninformed, it may appear unaccountable that a man should be able to retain in his memory such a variety of learning; but the close alliance with each other, of the different branches of science, will explain the difficulty." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/perhaps-to-the-uninformed-it-may-appear-161348/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
