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Euclid · Elements §6.prop.4

Sides of Equiangular Triangles Are Proportional

Passage 87 of 316 · Greek

Summary

In equiangular triangles, it is proved that the sides about the equal angles are proportional and those subtending the equal angles are corresponding (similarity of triangles).

§6.prop.4τῶν ἰσογωνίων τριγώνων ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν αἱ πλευραὶ αἱ περὶ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας καὶ ὁμόλογοι αἱ ὑπὸ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας ὑποτείνουσαι.
In equiangular triangles the sides about the equal angles are proportional, and those subtending the equal angles are corresponding.
ἔστω ἰσογώνια τρίγωνα τὰ ΑΒΓ, ΔΓΕ ἴσην ἔχοντα τὴν μὲν ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ γωνίαν τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΓΕ, τὴν δὲ ὑπὸ ΒΑΓ τῇ ὑπὸ ΓΔΕ καὶ ἔτι τὴν ὑπὸ ΑΓΒ τῇ ὑπὸ ΓΕΔ· λέγω, ὅτι τῶν ΑΒΓ, ΔΓΕ τριγώνων ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν αἱ πλευραὶ αἱ περὶ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας καὶ ὁμόλογοι αἱ ὑπὸ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας ὑποτείνουσαι.
Let ABC, DCE be equiangular triangles having the angle ABC equal to the angle DCE, the angle BAC to the angle CDE, and further the angle ACB to the angle CED; I say that in the triangles ABC, DCE the sides about the equal angles are proportional, and those subtending the equal angles are corresponding.
κείσθω γὰρ ἐπʼ εὐθείας ἡ ΒΓ τῇ ΓΕ. καὶ ἐπεὶ αἱ ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ, ΑΓΒ γωνίαι δύο ὀρθῶν ἐλάττονές εἰσιν, ἴση δὲ ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΓΒ τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΕΓ, αἱ ἄρα ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ, ΔΕΓ δύο ὀρθῶν ἐλάττονές εἰσιν· αἱ ΒΑ, ΕΔ ἄρα ἐκβαλλόμεναι συμπεσοῦνται.
For let BC be placed in a straight line with CE. And since the angles ABC, ACB are less than two right angles, and the angle ACB is equal to the angle DEG, therefore the angles ABC, DEG are less than two right angles; therefore BA, ED, if produced, will meet.
ἐκβεβλήσθωσαν καὶ συμπιπτέτωσαν κατὰ τὸ Ζ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ ὑπὸ ΔΓΕ γωνία τῇ ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ, παράλληλός ἐστιν ἡ ΒΖ τῇ ΓΔ. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΓΒ τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΕΓ, παράλληλός ἐστιν ἡ ΑΓ τῇ ΖΕ. παραλληλόγραμμον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΖΑΓΔ· ἴση ἄρα ἡ μὲν ΖΑ τῇ ΔΓ, ἡ δὲ ΑΓ τῇ ΖΔ. καὶ ἐπεὶ τριγώνου τοῦ ΖΒΕ παρὰ μίαν τὴν ΖΕ ἦκται ἡ ΑΓ, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ἡ ΒΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΖ, οὕτως ἡ ΒΓ πρὸς τὴν ΓΕ. ἴση δὲ ἡ ΑΖ τῇ ΓΔ· ὡς ἄρα ἡ ΒΑ πρὸς τὴν ΓΔ, οὕτως ἡ ΒΓ πρὸς τὴν ΓΕ, καὶ ἐναλλὰξ ὡς ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ΒΓ, οὕτως ἡ ΔΓ πρὸς τὴν ΓΕ. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ παράλληλός ἐστιν ἡ ΓΔ τῇ ΒΖ, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ἡ ΒΓ πρὸς τὴν ΓΕ, οὕτως ἡ ΖΔ πρὸς τὴν ΔΕ. ἴση δὲ ἡ ΖΔ τῇ ΑΓ·
Let them be produced and meet at Z. And since the angle DCE is equal to the angle ABC, BZ is parallel to CD. Again, since the angle ACB is equal to the angle DEG, AC is parallel to ZE. Therefore ZACD is a parallelogram; therefore ZA is equal to CD, and AC to ZD. And since AC has been drawn parallel to ZE, one of the sides of the triangle ZBE, therefore, as BA is to AZ, so is BC to CE. But AZ is equal to CD; therefore, as BA is to CD, so is BC to CE, and alternately, as AB is to BC, so is CD to CE. Again, since CD is parallel to BZ, therefore, as BC is to CE, so is ZD to DE. But ZD is equal to AC; therefore, as BC is to CE, so is AC to DE, and alternately, as BC is to CA, so is CE to ED.
ὡς ἄρα ἡ ΒΓ πρὸς τὴν ΓΕ, οὕτως ἡ ΑΓ πρὸς τὴν ΔΕ, καὶ ἐναλλὰξ ὡς ἡ ΒΓ πρὸς τὴν ΓΑ, οὕτως ἡ ΓΕ πρὸς τὴν ΕΔ. ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐδείχθη ὡς μὲν ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ΒΓ, οὕτως ἡ ΔΓ πρὸς τὴν ΓΕ, ὡς δὲ ἡ ΒΓ πρὸς τὴν ΓΑ, οὕτως ἡ ΓΕ πρὸς τὴν ΕΔ, διʼ ἴσου ἄρα ὡς ἡ ΒΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΓ, οὕτως ἡ ΓΔ πρὸς τὴν ΔΕ. τῶν ἄρα ἰσογωνίων τριγώνων ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν αἱ πλευραὶ αἱ περὶ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας καὶ ὁμόλογοι αἱ ὑπὸ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας ὑποτείνουσαι· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Since then it was proved that, as AB is to BC, so is CD to CE, and as BC is to CA, so is CE to ED, therefore, ex aequali, as BA is to AC, so is CD to DE. Therefore in equiangular triangles the sides about the equal angles are proportional, and those subtending the equal angles are corresponding; which was to be proved.

Notes

  1. 6.prop.4τῶν ἰσογωνίων τριγώνων — Genitive of relation or respect placed at the beginning of the sentence to define the domain: "In equiangular triangles."
  2. 6.prop.4αἱ ὑπὸ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας ὑποτείνουσαι — A standard Greek geometrical expression meaning literally "those subtending under the equal angles", referring to the sides opposite to the equal angles. The feminine noun `πλευραί` (sides) is omitted and understood with the article `αἱ` and participle `ὑποτείνουσαι`.
  3. ¦35¦διʼ ἴσου — An expression meaning "ex aequali" (by equality) in the theory of proportions. Defined in Book 5, Definition 17, it allows inferring the ratio of the extremes A:C = D:F from the ratio chains A:B = D:E and B:C = E:F.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §6.prop.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.prop.4

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