§7.prop.21οἱ πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀριθμοὶ ἐλάχιστοί εἰσι τῶν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἐχόντων αὐτοῖς.
Numbers prime to one another are the least of those which have the same ratio with them.
ἔστωσαν πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀριθμοὶ οἱ Α, Β· λέγω, ὅτι οἱ Α, Β ἐλάχιστοί εἰσι τῶν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἐχόντων αὐτοῖς.
Let A, B be numbers prime to one another; I say that A, B are the least of those which have the same ratio with them.
εἰ γὰρ μή, ἔσονταί τινες τῶν Α, Β ἐλάσσονες ἀριθμοὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ ὄντες τοῖς Α, Β. ἔστωσαν οἱ Γ, Δ.
ἐπεὶ οὖν οἱ ἐλάχιστοι ἀριθμοὶ τῶν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἐχόντων 2 μετροῦσι τοὺς τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἔχοντας ἰσάκις ὅ τε μείζων τὸν μείζονα καὶ ὁ ἐλάττων τὸν ἐλάττονα, τουτέστιν ὅ τε ἡγούμενος τὸν ἡγούμενον καὶ ὁ ἑπόμενος τὸν ἑπόμενον, ἰσάκις ἄρα ὁ Γ τὸν Α μετρεῖ καὶ ὁ Δ τὸν Β. ὁσάκις δὴ ὁ Γ τὸν Α μετρεῖ, τοσαῦται μονάδες ἔστωσαν ἐν τῷ Ε. καὶ ὁ Δ ἄρα τὸν Β μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν τῷ Ε μονάδας.
For if not, there will be some numbers less than A, B which are in the same ratio with A, B. Let them be Γ, Δ. Since therefore the least numbers of those which have the same ratio measure those which have the same ratio the same number of times, the greater the greater, and the less the less, that is, the antecedent the antecedent, and the consequent the consequent, therefore Γ measures A the same number of times that Δ measures B. So many units as there are in Γ's measuring A, let there be in E. Therefore Δ also measures B according to the units in E.
καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ Γ τὸν Α μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν τῷ Ε μονάδας, καὶ ὁ Ε ἄρα τὸν Α μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν τῷ Γ μονάδας.
And since Γ measures A according to the units in E, therefore E also measures A according to the units in Γ.
διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ ὁ Ε καὶ τὸν Β μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν τῷ Δ μονάδας.
For the same reason indeed E also measures B according to the units in Δ.
ὁ Ε ἄρα τοὺς Α, Β μετρεῖ πρώτους ὄντας πρὸς ἀλλήλους· ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀδύνατον.
Therefore E measures A, B, which are prime to one another; which is impossible.
οὐκ ἄρα ἔσονταί τινες τῶν Α, Β ἐλάσσονες ἀριθμοὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ ὄντες τοῖς Α, Β. οἱ Α, Β ἄρα ἐλάχιστοί εἰσι τῶν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἐχόντων αὐτοῖς· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Therefore there will not be any numbers less than A, B which are in the same ratio with A, B. Therefore A, B are the least of those which have the same ratio with them; which was to be proved.
§7.prop.22οἱ ἐλάχιστοι ἀριθμοὶ τῶν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἐχόντων αὐτοῖς πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰσίν.
The least numbers of those which have the same ratio with them are prime to one another.
ἔστωσαν ἐλάχιστοι ἀριθμοὶ τῶν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἐχόντων αὐτοῖς οἱ Α, Β· λέγω, ὅτι οἱ Α, Β πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰσίν.
Let A, B be the least numbers of those which have the same ratio with them; I say that A, B are prime to one another.
εἰ γὰρ μή εἰσι πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους, μετρήσει τις αὐτοὺς ἀριθμός.
For if they be not prime to one another, some number will measure them.
μετρείτω, καὶ ἔστω ὁ Γ. καὶ ὁσάκις μὲν ὁ Γ τὸν Α μετρεῖ, τοσαῦται μονάδες ἔστωσαν ἐν τῷ Δ, ὁσάκις δὲ ὁ Γ τὸν Β μετρεῖ, τοσαῦται μονάδες ἔστωσαν ἐν τῷ Ε.
ἐπεὶ ὁ Γ τὸν Α μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν τῷ Δ μονάδας, ὁ Γ ἄρα τὸν Δ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Α πεποίηκεν.
Let it measure them, and let it be Γ. And so many units as there are in Γ's measuring A, let there be in Δ, and so many units as there are in Γ's measuring B, let there be in E. Since Γ measures A according to the units in Δ, therefore Γ by multiplying Δ has made A.
διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ ὁ Γ τὸν Ε πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Β πεποίηκεν.
For the same reason indeed Γ also by multiplying E has made B.
ἀριθμὸς δὴ ὁ Γ δύο ἀριθμοὺς τοὺς Δ, Ε πολλαπλασιάσας τοὺς Α, Β πεποίηκεν· ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ε, οὕτως ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β· οἱ Δ, Ε ἄρα τοῖς Α, Β ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ εἰσὶν ἐλάσσονες ὄντες αὐτῶν· ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀδύνατον.
Therefore the number Γ by multiplying two numbers Δ, E has made A, B; therefore, as Δ is to E, so is A to B; therefore Δ, E are in the same ratio with A, B, being less than they; which is impossible.
οὐκ ἄρα τοὺς Α, Β ἀριθμοὺς ἀριθμός τις μετρήσει.
Therefore no number will measure the numbers A, B.
οἱ α, Β ἄρα πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰσίν· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Therefore A, B are prime to one another; which was to be proved.
§7.prop.23ἐὰν δύο ἀριθμοὶ πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὦσιν, ὁ τὸν ἕνα αὐτῶν μετρῶν ἀριθμὸς πρὸς τὸν λοιπὸν πρῶτος ἔσται.
If two numbers be prime to one another, the number which measures one of them will be prime to the remaining one.
ἔστωσαν δύο ἀριθμοὶ πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους οἱ Α, Β, τὸν δὲ Α μετρείτω τις ἀριθμὸς ὁ Γ· λέγω, ὅτι καὶ οἱ Γ, Β πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰσίν.
Let A, B be two numbers prime to one another, and let some number Γ measure A; I say that Γ, B are also prime to one another.
εἰ γὰρ μή εἰσιν οἱ Γ, Β πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους, μετρήσει τοὺς Γ, Β ἀριθμός.
For if Γ, B be not prime to one another, some number will measure Γ, B.
μετρείτω, καὶ ἔστω ὁ Δ. ἐπεὶ ὁ Δ τὸν Γ μετρεῖ, ὁ δὲ Γ τὸν Α μετρεῖ, καὶ ὁ Δ ἄρα τὸν Α μετρεῖ.
Let it measure them, and let it be Δ. Since Δ measures Γ, and Γ measures A, therefore Δ also measures A.
μετρεῖ δὲ καὶ τὸν Β· ὁ Δ ἄρα τοὺς Α, Β μετρεῖ πρώτους ὄντας πρὸς ἀλλήλους· ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀδύνατον.
But it also measures B; therefore Δ measures A, B, which are prime to one another; which is impossible.
οὐκ ἄρα τοὺς Γ, Β ἀριθμοὺς ἀριθμός τις μετρήσει.
Therefore no number will measure the numbers Γ, B.
οἱ Γ, Β ἄρα πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰσίν· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Therefore Γ, B are prime to one another; which was to be proved.