The aim of this paper is to look into the social and political mechanisms of public and private building in antiquity (4th century bc to 4th century ad), and to investigate the part played by shared notions of “architectural beauty” in these mechanisms and in the conceptions of urban landscapes. During the whole period taken into consideration, public building is of civic concern. The notion of civic beauty includes physical and ethical beauty. Public and private buildings contribute to the beauty of a city, and during the Roman period the beauty of cities testifies to the prosperity, happiness, and durability of the empire.