§2ΙΙ. Τούτων δὲ ὑποκειμένων δείκνυται καὶ τάδε·
II.
οἷον ἁ διάμετρος τοῦ κόσμου τᾶς διαμέτρου τᾶς γᾶς ἐλάττων ἐστὶν ἢ μυριοπλασίων, καὶ ἔτι ἁ διάμετρος τοῦ κόσμου ἐλάττων ἐστὶν ἢ σταδίων μυριάκις μυριαδες ρ.
Under these assumptions, the following points are also demonstrated: namely, that the diameter of the world is less than ten thousand times the diameter of the earth, and further, that the diameter of the world is less than ten thousand million stadia.
Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὑπόκειται τὰν διάμετρον τοῦ ἁλίου μὴ μείζω εἶμεν ἢ τριακονταπλασίονα τᾶς διαμέτρου τᾶς σελήνας, τὰν δὲ διάμετρον τᾶς γᾶς μείζω εἶμεν τᾶς διαμέτρου τᾶς σελήνας, δῆλον ὡς ἁ διάμετρος τοῦ ἁλίου ἐλάττων ἐστὶν ἢ τριακονταπλασίων τᾶς διαμέτρου τᾶς γᾶς.
For since it is assumed that the diameter of the sun is not greater than thirty times the diameter of the moon, and that the diameter of the earth is greater than the diameter of the moon, it is clear that the diameter of the sun is less than thirty times the diameter of the earth.
Πάλιν δέ, ἐπεὶ ἐδείχθη ἁ διάμετρος τοῦ ἁλίου μείζων ἐοῦσα τᾶς τοῦ χιλιαγώνου πλευρᾶς τοῦ εἰς τὸν μέγιστον κύκλον ἐγγραφομένου τῶν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, φανερὸν ὅτι ἁ τοῦ χιλιαγώνου περίμετρος τοῦ εἰρημένου ἐλάττων ἐστὶν ἢ χιλιοπλασίων τᾶς διαμέτρου τοῦ ἁλίου.
On the other hand, since the diameter of the sun was shown to be greater than the side of the chiliagon inscribed in the greatest circle of those in the world, it is manifest that the perimeter of the said chiliagon is less than one thousand times the diameter of the sun.
Ἁ δὲ διάμετρος τοῦ ἁλίου ἐλάττων ἐστὶν ἢ τριακονταπλασίων τᾶς διαμέτρου τᾶς γᾶς ὥστε ἁ περίμετρος τοῦ χιλιαγώνου ἐλάττων ἐστὶν ἢ τρισμυριοπλασίων τᾶς διαμέτρου τᾶς γᾶς.
And the diameter of the sun is less than thirty times the diameter of the earth, so that the perimeter of the chiliagon is less than thirty thousand times the diameter of the earth.
Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἁ περίμετρος τοῦ χιλιαγώνου τᾶς μὲν διαμέτρου τᾶς γᾶς ἐλάττων ἐστὶν ἢ τρισμυριοπλασίων, τᾶς δὲ διαμέτρου τοῦ κόσμου μείζων ἢ τριπλασίων δέδεικται γάρ τοι διότι παντὸς κύκλου ἁ διάμετρος ἐλάττων ἐστὶν ἢ τρίτον μέρος παντὸς πολυγωνίου τᾶς περιμέτρου, ὅ κα ἰσόπλευρον ᾖ καὶ πολυγωνότερον τοῦ ἑξαγώνου ἐγγεγραμμένον ἐν τῷ κύκλῳ εἴη κα ἁ διάμετρος τοῦ κόσμου ἐλάττων ἢ μυριοπλασίων τᾶς διαμέτρου τᾶς γᾶς.
Since, then, the perimeter of the chiliagon is less than thirty thousand times the diameter of the earth, but greater than three times the diameter of the world (for it has indeed been proved by us that the diameter of any circle is less than one-third part of the perimeter of any polygon, provided it is equilateral and has more sides than a hexagon, inscribed in the circle), the diameter of the world would be less than ten thousand times the diameter of the earth.
Ἁ μὲν οὖν διάμετρος τοῦ κόσμου ἐλάττων ἐοῦσα ἢ μυριοπλασίων τᾶς διαμέτρου τᾶς γᾶς δέδεικται· ὅτι δὲ ἐλάττων ἐστὶν ἁ διάμετρος τοῦ κόσμου ἢ σταδίων μυριάκις μυριάδες ρ ἐκ τούτου δῆλον· ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὑπόκειται τὰν περίμετρον τᾶς γᾶς μὴ μείζονα εἶμεν ἢ τριακοσίας μυριάδας σταδίων, ἁ δὲ περίμετρος τᾶς γᾶς μείζων ἐστὶν ἢ τριπλασία τᾶς διαμέτρου διὰ τὸ παντὸς κύκλου τὰν περιφέρειαν μείζονα εἶμεν ἢ τριπλασίονα τᾶς διαμέτρου, δῆλον ὡς ἁ διάμετρος τᾶς γᾶς ἐλάττων ἐστὶν ἢ σταδίων μυριάδες.
Thus, indeed, it has been shown that the diameter of the world is less than ten thousand times the diameter of the earth; and that the diameter of the world is less than ten thousand million stadia is clear from the following: for since it is assumed that the perimeter of the earth is not greater than three million stadia, and the perimeter of the earth is greater than three times its diameter (because the circumference of any circle is greater than three times its diameter), it is clear that the diameter of the earth is less than one million stadia.
Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἁ τοῦ κόσμου διάμετρος ἐλάττων ἐστὶν ἢ μυριοπλασίων τᾶς διαμέτρου τᾶς γᾶς, δῆλον ὡς ἁ τοῦ κόσμου διάμετρος ἐλάττων ἐστὶν ἢ σταδίων μυριάκις μυριάδες ρ.
Since, then, the diameter of the world is less than ten thousand times the diameter of the earth, it is clear that the diameter of the world is less than ten thousand million stadia.
Περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν μεγεθέων καὶ τῶν ἀποστημάτων ταῦτα ὑποτίθεμαι, περὶ δὲ τοῦ ψάμμου τάδε· εἴ κα ᾖ τι συγκείμενον μέγεθος ἐκ τοῦ ψάμμου μὴ μεῖζον μάκωνος, τὸν ἀριθμὸν αὐτοῦ μὴ μείζονα εἶμεν μυρίων, καὶ τὰν διάμετρον τᾶς μάκωνος μὴ ἐλάττονα εἶμεν ἢ τετρωκοστομόριον δακτύλου.
Now, concerning the sizes and distances, I assume these things, but concerning the sand, as follows: if there is any magnitude composed of sand not greater than a poppy-seed, its number is not greater than ten thousand, and the diameter of the poppy-seed is not less than one-fortieth part of a finger-breadth.
Ὑποτίθεμαι δὲ τοῦτο ἐπισκεψάμενος τόνδε τὸν τρόπον ἐτέθεν ἐπὶ κανόνα λεῖον μάκωνες ἐπʼ εὐθείας ἐπὶ μίαν κείμεναι ἁπτόμεναι ἀλλαλᾶν, καὶ ἀνέλαβον αἱ κε μάκωνες πλέονα τόπον δακτυλιαίου μάκεος.
I assume this having made an observation in the following manner: poppy-seeds were placed on a smooth ruler in a single straight line, touching one another, and the 25 poppy-seeds occupied a space greater than the length of one finger-breadth.
Ἐλάττονα οὖν τιθεὶς τὰν διάμετρον τᾶς μάκωνος ὑποτίθεμαι ὡς τετρωκοστομόριον εἶμεν δακτύλου καὶ μὴ ἐλάττονα βουλόμενος καὶ διὰ τούτων ἀναμφιλογώτατα δείκνυσθαι τὸ προκείμενον.
Therefore, making it smaller, I assume the diameter of the poppy-seed to be one-fortieth part of a finger-breadth, wishing it not to be less, so that through these assumptions the proposition before us may be proved most indisputably.