§5.prop.8τῶν ἀνίσων μεγεθῶν τὸ μεῖζον πρὸς τὸ αὐτὸ μείζονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ τὸ ἔλαττον. καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πρὸς τὸ ἔλαττον μείζονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ πρὸς τὸ μεῖζον.
Of unequal magnitudes, the greater has a greater ratio to the same than the less has; and the same has a greater ratio to the less than to the greater.
ἔστω ἄνισα μεγέθη τὰ ΑΒ, Γ, καὶ ἔστω μεῖζον τὸ ΑΒ, ἄλλο δέ, ὃ ἔτυχεν, τὸ Δ·
Let AB, Γ be unequal magnitudes, and let AB be the greater, and Δ any other arbitrary magnitude.
λέγω, ὅτι τὸ ΑΒ πρὸς τὸ Δ μείζονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Δ, καὶ τὸ Δ πρὸς τὸ Γ μείζονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ πρὸς τὸ ΑΒ.
ἐπεὶ γὰρ μεῖζόν ἐστι τὸ ΑΒ τοῦ Γ, κείσθω τῷ Γ ἴσον τὸ ΒΕ·
I say that AB has a greater ratio to Δ than Γ has to Δ, and Δ has a greater ratio to Γ than to AB.
τὸ δὴ ἔλασσον τῶν ΑΕ, ΕΒ πολλαπλασιαζόμενον ἔσται ποτὲ τοῦ Δ μεῖζον.
For, since AB is greater than Γ, let BE be laid down equal to Γ; then the less of the magnitudes AE, EB, if multiplied, will sometime be greater than Δ.
ἔστω πρότερον τὸ ΑΕ ἔλαττον τοῦ ΕΒ, καὶ πεπολλαπλασιάσθω τὸ ΑΕ, καὶ ἔστω αὐτοῦ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΖΗ μεῖζον ὂν τοῦ δ, καὶ ὁσαπλάσιόν ἐστι τὸ ΖΗ τοῦ ΑΕ, τοσαυταπλάσιον γεγονέτω καὶ τὸ μὲν ΗΘ τοῦ ΕΒ τὸ δὲ Κ τοῦ Γ·
First, let AE be less than EB, and let AE be multiplied, and let ZH be its multiple, being greater than Δ, and let HΘ be the same multiple of EB that ZH is of AE, and K the same multiple of Γ.
καὶ εἰλήφθω τοῦ Δ διπλάσιον μὲν τὸ Λ, τριπλάσιον δὲ τὸ Μ, καὶ ἑξῆς ἑνὶ πλεῖον, ἕως ἂν τὸ λαμβανόμενον πολλαπλάσιον μὲν γένηται τοῦ Δ, πρώτως δὲ μεῖζον τοῦ Κ. εἰλήφθω, καὶ ἔστω τὸ Ν τετραπλάσιον μὲν τοῦ Δ, πρώτως δὲ μεῖζον τοῦ Κ.
ἐπεὶ οὖν τὸ Κ τοῦ Ν πρώτως ἐστὶν ἔλαττον, τὸ Κ ἄρα τοῦ Μ οὔκ ἐστιν ἔλαττον.
And let there be taken Λ, the double of Δ, and M, the triple, and so on, one more in order, until the multiple taken becomes a multiple of Δ and first greater than K. Let it be taken, and let N be quadruple of Δ, and first greater than K. Since therefore K is first less than N, therefore K is not less than M.
καὶ ἐπεὶ ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΖΗ τοῦ ΑΕ καὶ τὸ ΗΘ τοῦ ΕΒ, ἰσάκις ἄρα ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΖΗ τοῦ ΑΕ καὶ τὸ ΖΘ τοῦ ΑΒ. ἰσάκις δέ ἐστι πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΖΗ τοῦ ΑΕ καὶ τὸ Κ τοῦ Γ·
And since ZH is the same multiple of AE that HΘ is of EB, therefore ZH is the same multiple of AE that ZΘ is of AB. But ZH is the same multiple of AE that K is of Γ; therefore ZΘ is the same multiple of AB that K is of Γ.
ἰσάκις ἄρα ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΖΘ τοῦ ΑΒ καὶ τὸ Κ τοῦ Γ. τὰ ΖΘ, Κ ἄρα τῶν ΑΒ, Γ ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσια.
Therefore ZΘ, K are equimultiples of AB, Γ.
πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΗΘ τοῦ ΕΒ καὶ τὸ Κ τοῦ Γ, ἴσον δὲ τὸ ΕΒ τῷ Γ, ἴσον ἄρα καὶ τὸ ΗΘ τῷ Κ·
Again, since HΘ is the same multiple of EB that K is of Γ, and EB is equal to Γ, therefore HΘ is also equal to K.
τὸ δὲ Κ τοῦ Μ οὔκ ἐστιν ἔλαττον· οὐδʼ ἄρα τὸ ΗΘ τοῦ μ ἔλαττόν ἐστιν.
But K is not less than M; therefore neither is HΘ less than M.
μεῖζον δὲ τὸ ΖΗ τοῦ Δ· ὅλον ἄρα τὸ ΖΘ συναμφοτέρων τῶν Δ, Μ μεῖζόν ἐστιν.
But ZH is greater than Δ; therefore the whole ZΘ is greater than both Δ, M together.
ἀλλὰ συναμφότερα τὰ Δ, Μ τῷ Ν ἐστιν ἴσα, ἐπειδήπερ τὸ Μ τοῦ Δ τριπλάσιόν ἐστιν, συναμφότερα δὲ τὰ Μ, Δ τοῦ Δ ἐστι τετραπλάσια, ἔστι δὲ καὶ τὸ Ν τοῦ Δ τετραπλάσιον· συναμφότερα ἄρα τὰ Μ, Δ τῷ Ν ἴσα ἐστίν.
But both Δ, M together are equal to N, since M is triple of Δ, and both M, Δ together are quadruple of Δ, and N is also quadruple of Δ; therefore both M, Δ together are equal to N.
ἀλλὰ τὸ ΖΘ τῶν Μ, Δ μεῖζόν ἐστιν· τὸ ΖΘ ἄρα τοῦ Ν ὑπερέχει· τὸ δὲ Κ τοῦ Ν οὐχ ὑπερέχει.
But ZΘ is greater than M, Δ; therefore ZΘ exceeds N; but K does not exceed N.
καί ἐστι τὰ μὲν ΖΘ, Κ τῶν ΑΒ, Γ ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια, τὸ δὲ Ν τοῦ Δ ἄλλο, ὃ ἔτυχεν, πολλαπλάσιον· τὸ ΑΒ ἄρα πρὸς τὸ Δ μείζονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Δ.
λέγω δή, ὅτι καὶ τὸ Δ πρὸς τὸ Γ μείζονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ τὸ Δ πρὸς τὸ ΑΒ.
τῶν γὰρ αὐτῶν κατασκευασθέντων ὁμοίως δείξομεν, ὅτι τὸ μὲν Ν τοῦ Κ ὑπερέχει, τὸ δὲ Ν τοῦ ΖΘ οὐχ ὑπερέχει.
And ZΘ, K are equimultiples of AB, Γ, and N is another arbitrary multiple of Δ; therefore AB has a greater ratio to Δ than Γ has to Δ. I say indeed that Δ also has a greater ratio to Γ than Δ has to AB. For, with the same construction, we shall prove in the same manner that N exceeds K, but N does not exceed ZΘ.
καί ἐστι τὸ μὲν Ν τοῦ Δ πολλαπλάσιον, τὰ δὲ ΖΘ, Κ τῶν ΑΒ, Γ ἄλλα, ἃ ἔτυχεν, ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια· τὸ Δ ἄρα πρὸς τὸ Γ μείζονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ τὸ Δ πρὸς τὸ ΑΒ.
ἀλλὰ δὴ τὸ ΑΕ τοῦ ΕΒ μεῖζον ἔστω.
And N is a multiple of Δ, and ZΘ, K are other arbitrary equimultiples of AB, Γ; therefore Δ has a greater ratio to Γ than Δ has to AB. But now, let AE be greater than EB.
τὸ δὴ ἔλαττον τὸ ΕΒ πολλαπλασιαζόμενον ἔσται ποτὲ τοῦ Δ μεῖζον.
Then the less, EB, if multiplied, will sometime be greater than Δ.
πεπολλαπλασιάσθω, καὶ ἔστω τὸ ΗΘ πολλαπλάσιον μὲν τοῦ ΕΒ, μεῖζον δὲ τοῦ Δ· καὶ ὁσαπλάσιόν ἐστι τὸ ΗΘ τοῦ ΕΒ, τοσαυταπλάσιον γεγονέτω καὶ τὸ μὲν ΖΗ τοῦ ΑΕ, τὸ δὲ Κ τοῦ Γ. ὁμοίως δὴ δείξομεν, ὅτι τὰ ΖΘ, Κ τῶν ΑΒ, Γ ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσια·
Let it be multiplied, and let HΘ be a multiple of EB, and greater than Δ; and let ZH be the same multiple of AE that HΘ is of EB, and K the same multiple of Γ.
καὶ εἰλήφθω ὁμοίως τὸ Ν πολλαπλάσιον μὲν τοῦ Δ, πρώτως δὲ μεῖζον τοῦ ΖΗ· ὥστε πάλιν τὸ ΖΗ τοῦ Μ οὔκ ἐστιν ἔλασσον.
In the same manner we shall prove indeed that ZΘ, K are equimultiples of AB, Γ; and let N be taken in the same manner as a multiple of Δ, and first greater than ZH; so that, again, ZH is not less than M.
μεῖζον δὲ τὸ ΗΘ τοῦ Δ· ὅλον ἄρα τὸ ΖΘ τῶν Δ, Μ, τουτέστι τοῦ Ν, ὑπερέχει.
But HΘ is greater than Δ; therefore the whole ZΘ exceeds both Δ, M, that is, N.
τὸ δὲ Κ τοῦ Ν οὐχ ὑπερέχει, ἐπειδήπερ καὶ τὸ ΖΗ μεῖζον ὂν τοῦ ΗΘ, τουτέστι τοῦ Κ, τοῦ Ν οὐχ ὑπερέχει.
But K does not exceed N, since ZH, although being greater than HΘ, that is, K, does not exceed N.
καὶ ὡσαύτως κατακολουθοῦντες τοῖς ἐπάνω περαίνομεν τὴν ἀπόδειξιν.
And following in the same manner those things above, we shall complete the demonstration.
τῶν ἄρα ἀνίσων μεγεθῶν τὸ μεῖζον πρὸς τὸ αὐτὸ μείζονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ τὸ ἔλαττον· καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πρὸς τὸ ἔλαττον μείζονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ πρὸς τὸ μεῖζον· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Therefore, of unequal magnitudes, the greater has a greater ratio to the same than the less has; and the same has a greater ratio to the less than to the greater; which was to be proved.