Humanitext Reader

Archimedes · Book of Lemmas §15

The Radius from a Pentagon Side and Extreme and Mean Ratio

Passage 7 of 7 · Greek

Summary

In a figure related to the side of an inscribed regular pentagon in a semicircle, it is proven that the constructed straight lines EH and △E are equal to the radius of the circle, and corollaries are derived showing that the segment AΓ is cut in extreme and mean ratio (the golden ratio) at △.

§15## ιε΄.
## ιε΄.
Ἔστω ἁμικύκλιον τὸ ΑΒ καὶ ἁ ΑΓ πλευρὰ τοῦ ἐγγεγραμμένου ἰσοπλεύρου τε καὶ ἰσογωνίου πενταγώνου, τετμάσθω δὲ περιφέρεια ἁ ΑΓ δίχα κατὰ τὸ △, ἐπιζευχθεῖσα δὲ ἁ Γ△ ἐκβεβλήσθω ἐπὶ τὸ Ε, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ △ σαμείου διάχθω ἁ △Β τέμνουσα πλευρὰν τὰν ΑΓ κατὰ τὸ Ζ, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ζ ἄχθω τᾷ ΑΒ ποτʼ ὀρθὰς ἁ ΖΗ φαμὶ δή, εὐθεῖα ἁ ΕΗ τᾷ ἐκ τοῦ κέντρου τοῦ κύκλου ἴσα ἐστίν.
Let there be a semicircle AB, and let AΓ be a side of the inscribed equilateral and equiangular pentagon, and let the arc AΓ be bisected at △, and let the joined Γ△ be produced to E, and from the point △ let △B be drawn cutting the side AΓ at Z, and from Z let ZH be drawn at right angles to AB; I say indeed that the straight line EH is equal to the radius (the straight line from the center) of the circle.
Ἐπεζεύχθω γὰρ ἁ ΓΒ, καὶ ἔστω κέντρον τοῦ κύκλου τὸ Θ σαμεῖον, καὶ ἄχθωσαν αἱ Θ△, △Η, Α△ εὐθεῖαι.
For let ΓB be joined, and let the center of the circle be the point Θ, and let the straight lines Θ△, △H, A△ be drawn.
Ἐπεὶ οὖν γωνία ἁ ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ δύο πέμπτα ὀρθᾶς ἐστιν, γωνία ἁ ὑπὸ ΓΒ△, τουτέστι ἁ ὑπὸ △ΒΑ, ἓν πεμπταμόριον ὀρθᾶς ἐστιν· γωνία ἄρα ἁ ὑπὸ △ΘΑ δύο πέμπτα ὀρθᾶς ἐστιν.
Since, then, the angle ABΓ is two-fifths of a right angle, the angle ΓB△, that is, △BA, is one-fifth of a right angle; therefore, the angle △ΘA is two-fifths of a right angle.
Καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐν δυσὶ τριγώνοις τοῖς ΓΒΖ, ΗΒΖ δύο γωνίαι αἱ ποτὶ τῷ Β ἴσαι ἀλλάλαις ἐντί, ὀρθαὶ δὲ αἱ ποτὶ τὰ Η, Γ σαμεῖα, κοινὰ δὲ πλευρὰ ἁ ΒΖ, ἐσσεῖται ἄρα καὶ βάσις ἁ ΒΓ βάσει τᾷ ΒΗ ἴσα.
And since in the two triangles ΓBZ, HBZ two angles at B are equal to one another, and those at the points H, Γ are right angles, and the side BZ is common, therefore the base BΓ will also be equal to the base BH.
Πάλιν ἐπεὶ ἐν δυσὶ τριγώνοις τοῖς ΓΒ△, ΗΒ△ δύο πλευραὶ αἱ ΓΒ, ΒΗ ἴσαι ἀλλάλαις ἐντί, γωνίαι δὲ αἱ ποτὶ τῷ Β ἴσαι, κοινὰ δὲ πλευρὰ ἁ Β△, ἐσσεῖται ἄρα γωνία ἁ ὑπὸ ΒΓ△ γωνίᾳ τᾷ ὑπὸ ΒΗ△, τουτέστιν ἐπιπέμπτῳ ὀρθᾶς, ἴσα·
Again, since in the two triangles ΓB△, HB△ the two sides ΓB, BH are equal to one another, and the angles at B are equal, and the side B△ is common, therefore the angle BΓ△ will be equal to the angle BH△, that is, one and one-fifth of a right angle.
ἔστι BD δὲ ἑκατέρα τῶν ὑπὸ ΒΓ△, ΒΗ△ γωνιῶν γωνίᾳ τᾷ ἐκτὸς τοῦ ἐν τῷ κύκλῳ τετραπλεύτοῦ ῥοῦ ΒΑ△Γ, τουτέστι τᾷ △ΑΕ, ἴσα γωνία ἄρα ἁ ὑπὸ △ΑΒ γωνίᾳ τᾷ ὑπὸ △ΗΑ ἔστιν ἴσα, καὶ πλευρὰ ἁ △Α τᾷ △Η. Καὶ ἐπεὶ γωνία ἁ ὑπὸ △ΘΗ βε΄ ὀρθᾶς ἐστι καὶ ἁ ὑπὸ △ΗΘ ἐπίπεμπτος ὀρθᾶς, γωνία ἄρα ἁ ὑπὸ Θ△Η βέ ὀρθᾶς ἐστιν πλευρὰ ἄρα ἁ △ Η πλευρᾷ τᾷ ΗΘ ἐστὶν ἴσα.
And each of the angles BΓ△, BH△ is equal to the exterior angle of the cyclic quadrilateral BA△Γ, that is, the angle △AE; therefore, the angle △AB is equal to the angle △HA, and the side △A to △H. And since the angle △ΘH is two-fifths of a right angle, and △HΘ is one and one-fifth of a right angle, therefore the angle Θ△H is two-fifths of a right angle; therefore, the side △H is equal to the side HΘ.
Πάλιν, ἐπεὶ γωνία ἁ ὑπὸ Α△Ε τοῦ ἐν τῷ κύκλῳ τετραπλεύρου τοῦ Α△ΓΒ ἐκτός ἐστιν, ἐσσεῖται ἄρα γωνία ἁ ὑπὸ Α△Ε γωνίᾳ τᾷ ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ ἴσα· ἔστι δὲ γωνία ἁ ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ βγ΄ ὀρθᾶς γωνία ἄρα ἁ ὑπὸ Α△Ε γωνίᾳ τᾷ ὑπὸ Η△Θ ἐστὶν ἴσα.
Again, since the angle A△E is an exterior angle of the cyclic quadrilateral A△ΓB, therefore the angle A△E will be equal to the angle ABΓ; and the angle ABΓ is two-fifths of a right angle, therefore the angle A△E is equal to the angle H△Θ.
Καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐν δυσὶ τριγώνοις τοῖς Ε△Α, Θ△Η δύο γωνίαι αἱ ὑπὸ Ε△Α, △ΑΕ δυσὶ ταῖς ὑπὸ Θ△Η. △ΗΘ ἑκατέρα ἑκατέρᾳ ἴσαι ἐντί, βάσις δὲ ἁ △Α βάσει τᾷ △Η ἴσα, πλευρὰ ἄρα ἁ ΕΑ πλευρᾷ τᾷ ΘΗ ἴσα ἐστίν.
And since in the two triangles E△A, Θ△H the two angles E△A, △AE are equal respectively to the two angles Θ△H, △HΘ, and the base △A is equal to the base △H, therefore the side EA is equal to the side ΘH.
Κοινὰ ποτικείσθω ἁ ΑΗ εὐθεῖα ἄρα ἁ ΕΗ εὐθείᾳ τᾷ ΑΘ, τουτέστι τᾷ ἐκ τοῦ κέντρου τοῦ κύκλου, ἴσα ἐστίν· δέδεικται οὖν τὸ προτεθέν.
Let the common part AH be added; therefore, the straight line EH is equal to the straight line AΘ, that is, to the radius of the circle; therefore, what was proposed has been shown.
ΠΟΡΙΣΜΑ Ἐκ τούτου δὴ φανερὸν ὅτι εὐθεῖα ἁ △Ε τᾷ ἐκ τοῦ κέντρου τοῦ κύκλου ἐστὶν ἴσα.
COROLLARY From this indeed it is manifest that the straight line △E is equal to the radius of the circle.
Ἐπεὶ γὰρ γωνία ἁ ὑπὸ △ΑΕ γωνίᾳ τᾷ ὑπὸ △ΗΘ ἴσα ἐστίν, ἐσσεῖται καὶ πλευρὰ ἁ △Θ πλευρᾷ τᾷ △Ε, τουτέστι τᾷ ΑΘ, ἴσα.
For since the angle △AE is equal to the angle △HΘ, the side △Θ will also be equal to the side △E, that is, to AΘ.
ΠΟΡΙΣΜΑ Καὶ ἔτι δῆλον ὅτι εὐθεῖα ἁ ΑΓ ἄκρον καὶ μέσον τέτμαται κατὰ τὸ △ σαμεῖον τμᾶμα δὲ τὸ △Ε τὸ μεῖζόν ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ ἁ Ε△ πλευρὰ τοῦ ἑξαγώνου, ἁ δὲ △Γ πλευρὰ τοῦ δεκαγώνου τῶν ἐν τῷ κύκλῳ ἐγγραφομένων.
COROLLARY And it is further manifest that the straight line AΓ is cut in extreme and mean ratio at the point △, and the segment △E is the greater part, since E△ is a side of the hexagon, and △Γ is a side of the decagon inscribed in the circle.

Notes

  1. 15γωνία ἁ ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ — This construction, where the preposition "ὑπό" is followed by the accusative representing the three vertices defining the angle (here A, B, and Γ), is a standard geometrical expression in Greek mathematics meaning "the angle contained by A, B, and Γ" (angle ABΓ).
  2. ¦p.163¦βγ΄ — A textual corruption. Since the angle ABΓ was explicitly defined in the preceding paragraph as "two-fifths" of a right angle (δύο πέμπτα, βε΄), "βγ΄" (two-thirds) is understood as a scribal error for "βε΄" (two-fifths) and translated as "two-fifths".
  3. ¦p.164¦ἄκρον καὶ μέσον τέτμαται — A technical mathematical formula meaning "to be cut in extreme and mean ratio" (i.e., the golden ratio). It typically appears with the noun "λόγον" (ratio), which is omitted here, leaving only the Doric form of the verb "τέτμαται" (from τέμνω).

Cite this passage

Archimedes, Book of Lemmas §15. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0552.tlg011.humanitext-grc1:15

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