| Abstract: | Mathematical ability and good architecture have gone together in several notable instances. Euclid's ‘Elements’ has been one of the great formative works in the history of mankind and it would be reasonable to expect that it would have some influence upon architecture. It was practically unknown in the west until translated from the Arabic into Latin by Adelard of Bath about 1120. This translation had an immense impact on medieval thought and it is arguable that it was a major factor in the greater accuracy in the setting out of buildings that began about that time. The question of skew chancels is specially considered. But the main reason for holding the translation to have had a big influence upon medieval architecture is the strong tradition among Freemasons that ‘the worthy clerk Euclid’ was the founder of their craft. |
