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Euclid · Elements §6.prop.15

Equal Triangles with One Equal Angle and Reciprocal Sides

Passage 94 of 316 · Greek

Summary

In two triangles that have one angle equal to another, it is proved that the equality of their areas is equivalent to the reciprocal proportionality of the sides containing the equal angles.

§6.prop.15τῶν ἴσων καὶ μίαν μιᾷ ἴσην ἐχόντων γωνίαν τριγώνων ἀντιπεπόνθασιν αἱ πλευραὶ αἱ περὶ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας· καὶ ὧν μίαν μιᾷ ἴσην ἐχόντων γωνίαν τριγώνων ἀντιπεπόνθασιν αἱ πλευραὶ αἱ περὶ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας, ἴσα ἐστὶν ἐκεῖνα.
In equal triangles which have one angle equal to one angle the sides about the equal angles are reciprocally proportional; and those triangles having one angle equal to one angle in which the sides about the equal angles are reciprocally proportional are equal.
ἔστω ἴσα τρίγωνα τὰ ΑΒΓ, ΑΔΕ μίαν μιᾷ ἴσην ἔχοντα γωνίαν τὴν ὑπὸ ΒΑΓ τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΑΕ· λέγω, ὅτι τῶν ΑΒΓ, ΑΔΕ τριγώνων ἀντιπεπόνθασιν αἱ πλευραὶ αἱ περὶ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας, τουτέστιν, ὅτι ἐστὶν ὡς ἡ ΓΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΔ, οὕτως ἡ ΕΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΒ. κείσθω γὰρ ὥστε ἐπʼ εὐθείας εἶναι τὴν ΓΑ τῇ ΑΔ·
Let ABΓ, AΔE be equal triangles having one angle equal to one angle, namely the angle BAΓ equal to the angle ΔAE; I say that in the triangles ABΓ, AΔE the sides about the equal angles are reciprocally proportional, that is, that as ΓA is to AΔ, so is EA to AB.
ἐπʼ εὐθείας ἄρα ἐστὶ καὶ ἡ ΕΑ τῇ ΑΒ. καὶ ἐπεζεύχθω ἡ ΒΔ. ἐπεὶ οὖν ἴσον ἐστὶ τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον τῷ ΑΔΕ τριγώνῳ, ἄλλο δέ τι τὸ ΒΑΔ, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς τὸ ΓΑΒ τρίγωνον πρὸς τὸ ΒΑΔ τρίγωνον, οὕτως τὸ ΕΑΔ τρίγωνον πρὸς τὸ ΒΑΔ τρίγωνον.
For let ΓA be placed in a straight line with AΔ; therefore EA is also in a straight line with AB. And let BΔ be joined. Since then the triangle ABΓ is equal to the triangle AΔE, and BAΔ is some other triangle, therefore, as the triangle ΓAB is to the triangle BAΔ, so is the triangle EAΔ to the triangle BAΔ.
ἀλλʼ ὡς μὲν τὸ ΓΑΒ πρὸς τὸ ΒΑΔ, οὕτως ἡ ΓΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΔ, ὡς δὲ τὸ ΕΑΔ πρὸς τὸ ΒΑΔ, οὕτως ἡ ΕΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΒ. καὶ ὡς ἄρα ἡ ΓΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΔ, οὕτως ἡ ΕΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΒ. τῶν ΑΒΓ, ΑΔΕ ἄρα τριγώνων ἀντιπεπόνθασιν αἱ πλευραὶ αἱ περὶ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας.
But, as ΓAB is to BAΔ, so is ΓA to AΔ, and, as EAΔ is to BAΔ, so is EA to AB; therefore, also, as ΓA is to AΔ, so is EA to AB. Therefore in the triangles ABΓ, AΔE the sides about the equal angles are reciprocally proportional.
ἀλλὰ δὴ ἀντιπεπονθέτωσαν αἱ πλευραὶ τῶν ΑΒΓ, ΑΔΕ τριγώνων, καὶ ἔστω ὡς ἡ ΓΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΔ, οὕτως ἡ ΕΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΒ· λέγω, ὅτι ἴσον ἐστὶ τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον τῷ ΑΔΕ τριγώνῳ.
But indeed let the sides of the triangles ABΓ, AΔE be reciprocally proportional, and let as ΓA is to AΔ, so EA to AB; I say that the triangle ABΓ is equal to the triangle AΔE.
Ἐπιζευχθείσης γὰρ πάλιν τῆς ΒΔ, ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς ἡ ΓΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΔ, οὕτως ἡ ΕΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΒ, ἀλλʼ ὡς μὲν ἡ ΓΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΔ, οὕτως τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον πρὸς τὸ ΒΑΔ τρίγωνον, ὡς δὲ ἡ ΕΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΒ, οὕτως τὸ ΕΑΔ τρίγωνον πρὸς τὸ ΒΑΔ τρίγωνον, ὡς ἄρα τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον πρὸς τὸ ΒΑΔ τρίγωνον, οὕτως τὸ ΕΑΔ τρίγωνον πρὸς τὸ ΒΑΔ τρίγωνον.
For, BΔ being joined again, since as ΓA is to AΔ, so is EA to AB, but as ΓA is to AΔ, so is the triangle ABΓ to the triangle BAΔ, and as EA is to AB, so is the triangle EAΔ to the triangle BAΔ, therefore, as the triangle ABΓ is to the triangle BAΔ, so is the triangle EAΔ to the triangle BAΔ.
ἑκάτερον ἄρα τῶν ΑΒΓ, ΕΑΔ πρὸς τὸ ΒΑΔ τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχει λόγον.
Therefore each of ABΓ, EAΔ has the same ratio to BAΔ.
ἴσον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΑΒΓ τῷ ΕΑΔ τριγώνῳ.
Therefore the triangle ABΓ is equal to the triangle EAΔ.
τῶν ἄρα ἴσων καὶ μίαν μιᾷ ἴσην ἐχόντων γωνίαν τριγώνων ἀντιπεπόνθασιν αἱ πλευραὶ αἱ περὶ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας· καὶ ὧν μίαν μιᾷ ἴσην ἐχόντων γωνίαν τριγώνων ἀντιπεπόνθασιν αἱ πλευραὶ αἱ περὶ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας, ἐκεῖνα ἴσα ἐστίν· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Therefore, in equal triangles which have one angle equal to one angle the sides about the equal angles are reciprocally proportional; and those triangles having one angle equal to one angle in which the sides about the equal angles are reciprocally proportional are equal; which was to be demonstrated.

Notes

  1. §6.prop.15ὧν μίαν μιᾷ ἴσην ἐχόντων γωνίαν τριγώνων — The relative pronoun ὧν is attracted into the genitive case of its antecedent τριγώνων (or the antecedent is incorporated into the relative clause), which limits the clause 'whose sides about the equal angles are reciprocally proportional (ἀντιπεπόνθασιν αἱ πλευραὶ...)'. The participle phrase μίαν μιᾷ ἴσην ἐχόντων γωνίαν modifies τριγώνων.
  2. §6.prop.15τὴν ΓΑ τῇ ΑΔ — While τὴν ΓΑ is the accusative subject of the infinitive εἶναι, τῇ ΑΔ is in the dative case, expressing association or standard ('in a straight line with AD').
  3. §6.prop.15ἑκάτερον ἄρα τῶν ΑΒΓ, ΕΑΔ πρὸς τὸ ΒΑΔ τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχει λόγον — The pronoun ἑκάτερον (each) is a neuter singular subject taking the singular verb ἔχει, while the genitive plural phrase τῶν ΑΒΓ, ΕΑΔ (of ABC, EAD) specifies the whole from which 'each' is taken.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §6.prop.15. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.prop.15

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