§24.1Ἀπορεῖται διὰ τί ποτε ὁ μείζων κύκλος τῷ ἐλάττονι κύκλῳ ἴσηνἐξελίττεται γραμμήν, ὅταν περὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κέντρον τεθῶσι;
It is a puzzle why the larger circle unrolls a line equal to the smaller circle, when they are placed about the same center.
Χωρὶς δὲ ἐκκυλιόμενοι, ὥσπερ τὸ μέγεθος αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸ μέγεθος ἔχει, οὕτως καὶ αἱ γραμμαὶ αὐτῶν γίνονται πρὸς ἀλλήλας.
But when they roll separately, as their size is to the other's size, so also their lines are in relation to each other.
§24.2Ἔτι δὲ ἑνὸς καὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ κέντρου ὄντος ἀμφοῖν, ὁτὲ μὲν τηλικαύτη γίνεται ἡ γραμμὴ ἢν ἐκκυλίονται, ἡλίκην ὁ ἐλάττων κύκλος καθ’ αὐτὸν ἐκκυλίεται, ὁτὲ δὲ ὅσην ὁ μείζων.
And further, although both have one and the same center, sometimes the line which they roll out is as large as the smaller circle rolls out by itself, and sometimes as large as the larger circle.
Ὅτι μὲν οὖν μείζω ἐκκυλίεται ὁ μείζων, φανερόν.
Now, that the larger rolls out a larger distance is clear.
§24.3Γωνία μὲν γὰρ δοκεῖ κατὰ τὴν αἴσθησιν εἶναι ἡ περιφέρεια ἑκάστου τῆς οἰκείας διαμέτρου, ἡ τοῦ μείζονος κύκλου μείζων, ἡ δὲ τοῦ ἐλάττονος ἐλάττων, ὥστε τὸν αὐτὸν τοῦτον ἕξουσι λόγον, καθ’ ἃς ἐξεκυλίσθησαν αἱ γραμμαὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλας κατὰ τὴν αἴσθησιν.
For to perception, the circumference of each seems to have a certain angle [curvature] relative to its own diameter, that of the larger circle being larger, and that of the smaller being smaller; so that, according to perception, the unrolled lines will have this same ratio to one another.
§24.4Ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ ὅτι τὴν ἴσην ἐκκυλίονται, ὅταν περὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κέντρον κείμενοι ὦσι, δῆλον· καὶ οὕτως γίνεται ὁτὲ μὲν ἴση τῇ γραμμῇ ἣν ὁ μείζων κύκλος ἐκκυλίεται, ὁτὲ δὲ ἐλάττων.
And yet, it is also clear that they roll out an equal distance when they are placed about the same center; and in this case, sometimes the line is equal to that which the larger circle rolls out, and sometimes it is smaller.
§24.5Ἔστω γὰρ κύκλος ὁ μείζων μὲν ἐφ’ οὗ τὰ ΔΖΓ, ὁ δὲ ἐλάττων ἐφ’ οὖ τὰ Ε Η Β, κέντρον δὲ ἀμφοῖν τὸ Α· καὶ ἣν μὲν ἐξελίττεται καθ’ αὐτὸν ὁ μέγας,ἡ ἐφ’ ἦς ΖΙ ἔστω, ἢνδὲ ὁ ἐλάττων καθ’ αὐτόν, ἡ ἐφ’ ἧς Η Κ, ἴση τῇ ΑΖ.
For let the larger circle be that on which are ΔΖΓ, and the smaller that on which are ΕΗΒ, and let the center of both be A; and let the line which the large circle unrolls by itself be ZI, and that which the smaller unrolls by itself be HK, which is equal to AZ.
§24.6Ἐὰν δὴ κινῶ τὸν ἐλάττονα, τὸ αὐτὸ κέντρονκινῶ, ἐφ’ οὖ τὸ Α· ὁ δὲ μέγας προσηρμόσθω.
If then I move the smaller circle, I move the same center, on which is A; and let the large circle be fitted to it.
Ὅταν οὖν ἡ Α Β ὀρθὴ γένηται πρὸς τὴν Η Κ, ἅμα καὶἡ ΑΓ γίνεται ὀρθὴ πρὸς τὴν Ζ Λ, ὥστε ἔσται ἴσην ἀεὶ διεληλυθυῖα, τὴν μὲν Η Κ. ἐφ’ Η Β περιφέρεια, τὴν δὲ Ζ Λ ἡ ἐφ’ ἦς ΖΓ.
Therefore, when AB becomes perpendicular to HK, at the same time AΓ also becomes perpendicular to ZΛ, so that the circumference HB will always have traversed an equal distance HK, and the circumference ZΓ [will have traversed] ZΛ.
§24.7Εἰ δὲ τὸ τέταρτον μέρος ἴσην ἐξελίττεται, δῆλον ὅτι καὶ ὁ ὅλος κύκλος τῷ ὅλῳ κύκλῳ ἴσηνἐξελιχθήσεται, ὥστε ὅταν ἡ ΒΗ γραμμὴ ἔλθῃ ἐπὶ τὸ Κ, καὶ ἡ ΖΓ ἔσται περιφέρεια ἐπὶ τῆςΖΑ καὶ ὁ κύκλος ὅλος ἐξειλιγμένος.
And if a quarter unrolls an equal distance, it is clear that the whole circle will also unroll a distance equal to the other whole circle; so that when the line BH comes to K, the circumference ZΓ will also be on ZA, and the whole circle will have been unrolled.
Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐὰν τὸν μέγαν κινῶ, ἐναρμόσας τὸν μικρόν, τοῦ αὐτοῦ κέντρου ὄντος, ἅμα τῇ ΑΓ ἡ Α Β κάθετος καὶ ὀρθὴ ἔσται, ἡ μὲν πρὸς τὴν ΖΙ, ἡ δὲ πρὸς τὴν Η Θ.
In like manner, if I move the large circle, having fitted the small one to it, since the center is the same, AB will be perpendicular and upright at the same time as AΓ, the one to ZI, and the other to HΘ.
§24.8Ὥστε ὅταν ἴσην ἡ μὲν τῇ Η Θ ἔσται διεληλυθυῖα, ἡ δὲ τῇ ΖΙ, καὶ γένηται ὀρθὴ πάλιν ἡ ΖΑ πρὸς τὴν ΖΛ, καὶ ἡ ΑΓ ὀρθὴ πάλιν, ὡς τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔσονται ἐπὶ τῶν ΘΙ. Τὸ δὲ μήτε στάσεως γινομένης τὸ μεῖζον τῷ ἐλάττονι, ὥστε μένειν τινὰ χρόνον ἐπὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ σημείου·
So that when the one has traversed a distance equal to HΘ, and the other to ZI, and ZA becomes perpendicular again to ZΛ, and AΓ perpendicular again, they will be on Θ and I as at the beginning.
κινοῦνται γὰρ συνεχῶς ἄμφω ἀμφοτεράκις. §24.9Μὴ ὑπερπηδῶντος τοῦ ἐλάττονος μηθὲν σημεῖον, τὸν μὲν μείζω τῷ ἐλάττονι ἴσην διεξιέναι, τὸν δὲ τῷ μείζονι, ἄτοπον.
But that, with no standstill occurring for the larger relative to the smaller so as to remain for some time on the same point (for both are moved continuously in both cases), and with the smaller skipping no point, the larger should traverse a distance equal to the smaller, and the smaller to the larger, is strange.
Ἔτι δὲ μιᾶς κινήσεως οὔσης ἀεὶ τὸ κέντρον τὸ κινούμενον ὁτὲ μὲν τὴν μεγάλην ὁτὲ δὲ τὴν ἐλάττονα ἐκκυλίεσθαι θαυμαστόν.
And further, it is wonderful that, while there is only one motion, the moving center sometimes rolls out a large line and sometimes a smaller one.