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Euclid · Elements §1.prop.22-1.prop.23

Construction of a Triangle and an Equal Angle

Passage 13 of 316 · Greek

Summary

In Proposition 22, a method is shown to construct a triangle from three given straight lines satisfying the triangular inequality, and in Proposition 23, a method is presented to construct a rectilineal angle equal to a given rectilineal angle at a point on a given straight line.

§1.prop.22ἐκ τριῶν εὐθειῶν, αἵ εἰσιν ἴσαι τρισὶ ταῖς δοθείσαις, τρίγωνον συστήσασθαι· δεῖ δὲ τὰς δύο τῆς λοιπῆς μείζονας εἶναι πάντῃ μεταλαμβανομένας.
Out of three straight lines, which are equal to three given straight lines, to construct a triangle; but it is necessary that two of them taken together in any manner should be greater than the remaining one.
ἔστωσαν αἱ δοθεῖσαι τρεῖς εὐθεῖαι αἱ Α, Β, Γ, ὧν αἱ δύο τῆς λοιπῆς μείζονες ἔστωσαν πάντῃ μεταλαμβανόμεναι, αἱ μὲν Α, Β τῆς Γ, αἱ δὲ Α, Γ τῆς Β, καὶ ἔτι αἱ Β, Γ τῆς Α· δεῖ δὴ ἐκ τῶν ἴσων ταῖς Α, Β, Γ τρίγωνον συστήσασθαι.
Let the three given straight lines be A, B, C, of which let two taken together in any manner be greater than the remaining one, namely A, B than C, A, C than B, and further B, C than A; it is then required to construct a triangle out of straight lines equal to A, B, C.
Ἐκκείσθω τις εὐθεῖα ἡ ΔΕ πεπερασμένη μὲν κατὰ τὸ Δ ἄπειρος δὲ κατὰ τὸ Ε, καὶ κείσθω τῇ μὲν Α ἴση ἡ ΔΖ, τῇ δὲ Β ἴση ἡ ΖΗ, τῇ δὲ Γ ἴση ἡ ΗΘ·
¦10 Let some straight line DE be set out, terminated at D but infinite in the direction of E, and let DZ be made equal to A, ZH equal to B, and HΘ equal to C.
καὶ κέντρῳ μὲν τῷ Ζ, διαστήματι δὲ τῷ ΖΔ κύκλος γεγράφθω ὁ ΔΚΛ· πάλιν κέντρῳ μὲν τῷ Η, διαστήματι δὲ τῷ ΗΘ κύκλος γεγράφθω ὁ ΚΛΘ, καὶ ἐπεζεύχθωσαν αἱ ΚΖ, ΚΗ· λέγω, ὅτι ἐκ τριῶν εὐθειῶν τῶν ἴσων ταῖς Α, Β, Γ τρίγωνον συνέσταται τὸ ΚΖΗ. ἐπεὶ γὰρ τὸ Ζ σημεῖον κέντρον ἐστὶ τοῦ ΔΚΛ κύκλου, ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ ΖΔ τῇ ΖΚ· ἀλλὰ ἡ ΖΔ τῇ Α ἐστιν ἴση.
And with center Z and distance ZD let a circle DKL be described; again, with center H and distance HΘ let a circle KLΘ be described, and let KZ, KH be joined; I say that the triangle KZH has been constructed out of three straight lines equal to A, B, C. For since the point Z is the center of the circle DKL, ZD is equal to ZK; but ZD is equal to A.
καὶ ἡ ΚΖ ἄρα τῇ Α ἐστιν ἴση.
Therefore KZ is also equal to A.
πάλιν, ἐπεὶ τὸ Η σημεῖον κέντρον ἐστὶ τοῦ ΛΚΘ κύκλου, ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ ΗΘ τῇ ΗΚ· ἀλλὰ ἡ ΗΘ τῇ Γ ἐστιν ἴση· καὶ ἡ ΚΗ ἄρα τῇ Γ ἐστιν ἴση.
Again, since the point H is the center of the circle LKHΘ, HΘ is equal to HK; but HΘ is equal to C; therefore KH is also equal to C.
ἐστὶ δὲ καὶ ἡ ΖΗ τῇ Β ἴση· αἱ τρεῖς ἄρα εὐθεῖαι αἱ ΚΖ, ΖΗ, ΗΚ τρισὶ ταῖς Α, Β, Γ ἴσαι εἰσίν.
And ZH is also equal to B; therefore the three straight lines KZ, ZH, HK are equal to the three A, B, C.
ἐκ τριῶν ἄρα εὐθειῶν τῶν ΚΖ, ΖΗ, ΗΚ, αἵ εἰσιν ἴσαι τρισὶ ταῖς δοθείσαις εὐθείαις ταῖς Α, Β, Γ, τρίγωνον συνέσταται τὸ ΚΖΗ· ὅπερ ἔδει ποιῆσαι.
Therefore, out of three straight lines KZ, ZH, HK, which are equal to the three given straight lines A, B, C, the triangle KZH has been constructed; which was to be done.
§1.prop.23πρὸς τῇ δοθείσῃ εὐθείᾳ καὶ τῷ πρὸς αὐτῇ σημείῳ τῇ δοθείσῃ γωνίᾳ εὐθυγράμμῳ ἴσην γωνίαν εὐθύγραμμον συστήσασθαι.
On a given straight line and at a point on it, to construct a rectilineal angle equal to a given rectilineal angle.
ἔστω ἡ μὲν δοθεῖσα εὐθεῖα ἡ ΑΒ, τὸ δὲ πρὸς αὐτῇ σημεῖον τὸ Α, ἡ δὲ δοθεῖσα γωνία εὐθύγραμμος ἡ ὑπὸ ΔΓΕ· δεῖ δὴ πρὸς τῇ δοθείσῃ εὐθείᾳ τῇ ΑΒ καὶ τῷ πρὸς αὐτῇ σημείῳ τῷ Α τῇ δοθείσῃ γωνίᾳ εὐθυγράμμῳ τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΓΕ ἴσην γωνίαν εὐθύγραμμον συστήσασθαι.
Let the given straight line be AB, and the point on it A, and the given rectilineal angle ΔΓE; it is then required on the given straight line AB and at the point A on it to construct a rectilineal angle equal to the given rectilineal angle ΔΓE.
εἰλήφθω ἐφʼ ἑκατέρας τῶν ΓΔ, ΓΕ τυχόντα σημεῖα τὰ Δ, Ε, καὶ ἐπεζεύχθω ἡ ΔΕ· καὶ ἐκ τριῶν εὐθειῶν, αἵ εἰσιν ἴσαι τρισὶ ταῖς ΓΔ, ΔΕ, ΓΕ, τρίγωνον συνεστάτω τὸ ΑΖΗ, ὥστε ἴσην εἶναι τὴν μὲν ΓΔ τῇ ΑΖ, τὴν δὲ ΓΕ τῇ ΑΗ, καὶ ἔτι τὴν ΔΕ τῇ ΖΗ. ἐπεὶ οὖν δύο αἱ ΔΓ, ΓΕ δύο ταῖς ΖΑ, ΑΗ ἴσαι εἰσὶν ἑκατέρα ἑκατέρᾳ, καὶ βάσις ἡ ΔΕ βάσει τῇ ΖΗ ἴση, γωνία ἄρα ἡ ὑπὸ ΔΓΕ γωνίᾳ τῇ ὑπὸ ΖΑΗ ἐστιν ἴση.
¦10 Let there be taken on each of the lines ΓΔ, ΓE random points Δ, E, and let ΔE be joined; and out of three straight lines, which are equal to the three ΓΔ, ΔE, ΓE, let the triangle AZH be constructed, so that ΓΔ is equal to AZ, ΓE to AH, and further ΔE to ZH. Since therefore the two ΔΓ, ΓE are equal to the two ZA, AH, each to each, and the base ΔE is equal to the base ZH, therefore the angle ΔΓE is equal to the angle ZAH.
πρὸς ἄρα τῇ δοθείσῃ εὐθείᾳ τῇ ΑΒ καὶ τῷ πρὸς αὐτῇ σημείῳ τῷ Α τῇ δοθείσῃ γωνίᾳ εὐθυγράμμῳ τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΓΕ ἴση γωνία εὐθύγραμμος συνέσταται ἡ ὑπὸ ΖΑΗ· ὅπερ ἔδει ποιῆσαι.
¦20 Therefore, on the given straight line AB and at the point A on it, the rectilineal angle ZAH has been constructed equal to the given rectilineal angle ΔΓE; which was to be done.

Notes

  1. 1.prop.22τριῶν εὐθειῶν, αἵ εἰσιν ἴσαι τρισὶ ταῖς δοθείσαις — The preposition ἐκ governs the genitive noun phrase τριῶν εὐθειῶν, meaning "out of three straight lines". The relative pronoun αἵ refers back to this phrase, and the adjective ἴσαι takes the dative τρισὶ ταῖς δοθείσαις as its complement ("equal to three given [straight lines]").
  2. 1.prop.22δεῖ δὲ τὰς δύο τῆς λοιπῆς μείζονας εἶναι — This is an accusative-with-infinitive construction governed by the impersonal verb δεῖ. The accusative τὰς δύο ("two [of them]") acts as the subject of the infinitive εἶναι, μείζονας ("greater") is the predicate accusative, and τῆς λοιπῆς ("than the remaining [one]") is a genitive of comparison.
  3. 1.prop.23τῇ δοθείσῃ γωνίᾳ εὐθυγράμμῳ ἴσην γωνίαν εὐθύγραμμον συστήσασθαι — The adjective ἴσην ("equal") modifies the accusative noun phrase γωνίαν εὐθύγραμμον ("rectilineal angle") and takes the dative τῇ δοθείσῃ γωνίᾳ εὐθυγράμμῳ ("to the given rectilineal angle") as its object of comparison. The infinitive συστήσασθαι is used to express the objective of the construction ("to construct").

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §1.prop.22-1.prop.23. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.prop.22-1.prop.23

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