Humanitext Reader

Euclid · Elements §13.prop.14

Inscribing an Octahedron in a Sphere and Edge Ratio

Passage 308 of 316 · Greek

Summary

To construct an octahedron inscribed in a given sphere, and to prove that the square on the diameter of the sphere is double the square on the side of the octahedron.

§13.prop.14ὀκτάεδρον συστήσασθαι καὶ σφαίρᾳ περιλαβεῖν, ᾗ καὶ τὰ πρότερα, καὶ δεῖξαι, ὅτι ἡ τῆς σφαίρας διάμετρος δυνάμει διπλασία ἐστὶ τῆς πλευρᾶς τοῦ ὀκταέδρου.
construct an octahedron and to comprehend it in a sphere, as in the case of the former, and to prove that the diameter of the sphere is double in square of the side of the octahedron.
Ἐκκείσθω ἡ τῆς δοθείσης σφαίρας διάμετρος ἡ ΑΒ, καὶ τετμήσθω δίχα κατὰ τὸ Γ, καὶ γεγράφθω ἐπὶ τῆς ΑΒ ἡμικύκλιον τὸ ΑΔΒ, καὶ ἤχθω ἀπὸ τοῦ Γ τῇ ΑΒ πρὸς ὀρθὰς ἡ ΓΔ, καὶ ἐπεζεύχθω ἡ ΔΒ, καὶ ἐκκείσθω τετράγωνον τὸ ΕΖΗΘ ἴσην ἔχον ἑκάστην τῶν πλευρῶν τῇ ΔΒ, καὶ ἐπεζεύχθωσαν αἱ ΘΖ, ΕΗ, καὶ ἀνεστάτω ἀπὸ τοῦ Κ σημείου τῷ τοῦ ΕΖΗΘ τετραγώνου ἐπιπέδῳ πρὸς ὀρθὰς εὐθεῖα ἡ ΚΛ καὶ διήχθω ἐπὶ τὰ ἕτερα μέρη τοῦ ἐπιπέδου ὡς ἡ ΚΜ, καὶ ἀφῃρήσθω ἀφʼ ἑκατέρας τῶν ΚΛ, ΚΜ μιᾷ τῶν ΕΚ, ΖΚ, ΗΚ, ΘΚ ἴση ἑκατέρα τῶν ΚΛ, ΚΜ, καὶ ἐπεζεύχθωσαν αἱ ΛΕ, ΛΖ, ΛΗ, ΛΘ, ΜΕ, ΜΖ, ΜΗ, ΜΘ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ ΚΕ τῇ ΚΘ, καί ἐστιν ὀρθὴ ἡ ὑπὸ ΕΚΘ γωνία, τὸ ἄρα ἀπὸ τῆς ΘΕ διπλάσιόν ἐστι τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΕΚ. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ ΛΚ τῇ ΚΕ, καί ἐστιν ὀρθὴ ἡ ὑπὸ ΛΚΕ γωνία, τὸ ἄρα ἀπὸ τῆς ΕΛ διπλάσιόν ἐστι τοῦ ἀπὸ ΕΚ. ἐδείχθη δὲ καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΘΕ διπλάσιον τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΕΚ· τὸ ἄρα ἀπὸ τῆς ΛΕ ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς ΕΘ· ἴση ἄρα ἐστὶν ἡ ΛΕ τῇ ΕΘ. διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ ἡ ΛΘ τῇ ΘΕ ἐστιν ἴση·
Let the diameter AB of the given sphere be laid down, and let it be cut in half at C, and let the semicircle ADB be described on AB, and let CD be drawn from C at right angles to AB, and let DB be joined. And let a square EZHTh be laid down having each of its sides equal to DB, and let ThZ, EH be joined. And let the straight line KL be set up from the point K at right angles to the plane of the square EZHTh, and let it be produced to the other side of the plane as KM, and let there be cut off from each of KL, KM, equal to one of EK, ZK, HK, ThK, each of KL, KM. And let LE, LZ, LH, LTh, ME, MZ, MH, MTh be joined. And since KE is equal to KTh, and the angle EKTh is a right angle, therefore the square on ThE is double of the square on EK. Again, since LK is equal to KE, and the angle LKE is a right angle, therefore the square on EL is double of the square on EK. And the square on ThE was also proved double of the square on EK; therefore the square on LE is equal to the square on ETh; therefore LE is equal to ETh. For the same reasons indeed, LTh is also equal to ThE; therefore the triangle LETh is equilateral.
ἰσόπλευρον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΛΕΘ τρίγωνον. ὁμοίως δὴ δείξομεν, ὅτι καὶ ἕκαστον τῶν λοιπῶν τριγώνων, ὧν βάσεις μέν εἰσιν αἱ τοῦ ΕΖΗΘ τετραγώνου πλευραί, κορυφαὶ δὲ τὰ Λ, Μ σημεῖα, ἰσόπλευρόν ἐστιν· ὀκτάεδρον ἄρα συνέσταται ὑπὸ ὀκτὼ τριγώνων ἰσοπλεύρων περιεχόμενον.
Similarly indeed we shall prove that each of the remaining triangles, of which the bases are the sides of the square EZHTh, and the vertices are the points L, M, is equilateral; therefore an octahedron has been constructed, comprehended by eight equilateral triangles.
δεῖ δὴ αὐτὸ καὶ σφαίρᾳ περιλαβεῖν τῇ δοθείσῃ καὶ δεῖξαι, ὅτι ἡ τῆς σφαίρας διάμετρος δυνάμει διπλασίων ἐστὶ τῆς τοῦ ὀκταέδρου πλευρᾶς.
Now it is required to comprehend it in the given sphere and to prove that the diameter of the sphere is double in square of the side of the octahedron.
ἐπεὶ γὰρ αἱ τρεῖς αἱ ΛΚ, ΚΜ, ΚΕ ἴσαι ἀλλήλαις εἰσίν, τὸ ἄρα ἐπὶ τῆς ΛΜ γραφόμενον ἡμικύκλιον ἥξει καὶ διὰ τοῦ Ε. καὶ διὰ τὰ αὐτά, ἐὰν μενούσης τῆς ΛΜ περιενεχθὲν τὸ ἡμικύκλιον εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ ἀποκατασταθῇ, ὅθεν ἤρξατο φέρεσθαι, ἥξει καὶ διὰ τῶν Ζ, Η, Θ σημείων, καὶ ἔσται σφαίρᾳ περιειλημμένον τὸ ὀκτάεδρον.
For since the three straight lines LK, KM, KE are equal to one another, therefore the semicircle described on LM will also pass through E. And for the same reasons, if, while LM remains fixed, the semicircle be carried round and restored again to the same position from which it began to be moved, it will also pass through the points Z, H, Th, and the octahedron will have been comprehended in a sphere.
λέγω δή, ὅτι καὶ τῇ δοθείσῃ.
I say then, that it is also in the given sphere.
ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ ΛΚ τῇ ΚΜ, κοινὴ δὲ ἡ ΚΕ, καὶ γωνίας ὀρθὰς περιέχουσιν, βάσις ἄρα ἡ ΛΕ βάσει τῇ ΕΜ ἐστιν ἴση.
For since LK is equal to KM, and KE is common, and they contain right angles, therefore the base LE is equal to the base EM.
καὶ ἐπεὶ ὀρθή ἐστιν ἡ ὑπὸ ΛΕΜ γωνία· ἐν ἡμικυκλίῳ γάρ· τὸ ἄρα ἀπὸ τῆς ΛΜ διπλάσιόν ἐστι τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΛΕ. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ ΑΓ τῇ ΓΒ, διπλασία ἐστὶν ἡ ΑΒ τῆς ΒΓ. ὡς δὲ ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ΒΓ, οὕτως τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΑΒ πρὸς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΔ· διπλάσιον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΑΒ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΔ. ἐδείχθη δὲ καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΛΜ διπλάσιον τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΛΕ. καί ἐστιν ἴσον τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΔΒ τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς ΛΕ· ἴση γὰρ κεῖται ἡ ΕΘ τῇ ΔΒ. ἴσον ἄρα καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΑΒ τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς ΛΜ· ἴση ἄρα ἡ ΑΒ τῇ ΛΜ. καί ἐστιν ἡ ΑΒ ἡ τῆς δοθείσης σφαίρας διάμετρος· ἡ ΛΜ ἄρα ἴση ἐστὶ τῇ τῆς δοθείσης σφαίρας διαμέτρῳ.
And since the angle LEM is a right angle—for it is in a semicircle—therefore the square on LM is double of the square on LE. Again, since AC is equal to GB, AB is double of BC. And as AB is to BC, so is the square on AB to the square on BD; therefore the square on AB is double of the square on BD. And the square on LM was also proved double of the square on LE. And the square on DB is equal to the square on LE; for ETh was laid down equal to DB. Therefore the square on AB is also equal to the square on LM; therefore AB is equal to LM. And AB is the diameter of the given sphere; therefore LM is equal to the diameter of the given sphere.
περιείληπται ἄρα τὸ ὀκτάεδρον τῇ δοθείσῃ σφαίρᾳ.
Therefore the octahedron has been comprehended in the given sphere.
καὶ συναποδέδεικται, ὅτι ἡ τῆς σφαίρας διάμετρος δυνάμει διπλασίων ἐστὶ τῆς τοῦ ὀκταέδρου πλευρᾶς· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
And it has been proved at the same time that the diameter of the sphere is double in square of the side of the octahedron; which it was required to prove.

Notes

  1. 13.prop.14ὀκτάεδρον συστήσασθαι — The infinitives συστήσασθαι, περιλαβεῖν, and δεῖξαι are independent infinitives of purpose (with an imperative force) expressing the goal of the construction and proof, functioning as the declaration of the proposition.
  2. 13.prop.14τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς ΕΘ — The neuter dative article τῷ agrees with the omitted noun τετραγώνῳ (square), meaning 'to the square (described) on ETh.' This is a typical formulaic expression in Greek mathematics.
  3. 13.prop.14μιᾷ τῶν ΕΚ, ΖΚ, ΗΚ, ΘΚ ἴση — The dative μιᾷ depends on the adjective ἴση ('equal to one'). The subject is ἑκατέρα τῶν ΚΛ, ΚΜ, which functions as the subject for the passive imperative verb ἀφῃρήσθω.
  4. 13.prop.14ἐν ἡμικυκλίῳ γάρ — A parenthetical clause ('for it is in a semicircle') explaining the reason why the angle LEM is a right angle, implicitly referring to the theorem of Elements Book III, Proposition 31 (an angle in a semicircle is a right angle).

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §13.prop.14. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:13.prop.14

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.