§8.prop.4#1λόγων δοθέντων ὁποσωνοῦν ἐν ἐλαχίστοις ἀριθμοῖς ἀριθμοὺς εὑρεῖν ἑξῆς ἀνάλογον ἐλαχίστους ἐν τοῖς δοθεῖσι λόγοις.
Given any multitude of ratios in the least numbers, to find numbers in continued proportion, the least in the given ratios.
ἔστωσαν οἱ δοθέντες λόγοι ἐν ἐλαχίστοις ἀριθμοῖς ὅ τε τοῦ Α πρὸς τὸν Β καὶ ὁ τοῦ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ καὶ ἔτι ὁ τοῦ Ε πρὸς τὸν Ζ· δεῖ δὴ ἀριθμοὺς εὑρεῖν ἑξῆς ἀνάλογον ἐλαχίστους ἔν τε τῷ τοῦ Α πρὸς τὸν Β λόγῳ καὶ ἐν τῷ τοῦ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ καὶ ἔτι ἐν τῷ τοῦ Ε πρὸς τὸν Ζ.
εἰλήφθω γὰρ ὁ ὑπὸ τῶν Β, Γ ἐλάχιστος μετρούμενος ἀριθμὸς ὁ Η. καὶ ὁσάκις μὲν ὁ Β τὸν Η μετρεῖ, τοσαυτάκις καὶ ὁ Α τὸν Θ μετρείτω, ὁσάκις δὲ ὁ Γ τὸν Η μετρεῖ, τοσαυτάκις καὶ ὁ Δ τὸν Κ μετρείτω.
Let the given ratios in the least numbers be that of Α to Β, that of Γ to Δ, and further that of Ε to Ζ; we must indeed find numbers in continued proportion, the least of those which have the ratio of Α to Β, that of Γ to Δ, and further that of Ε to Ζ. For let there be taken the least number Η measured by Β, Γ. And as many times as Β measures Η, so many times let Α also measure Θ; and as many times as Γ measures Η, so many times let Δ also measure Κ.
ὁ δὲ Ε τὸν Κ ἤτοι μετρεῖ ἢ οὐ μετρεῖ.
Now Ε either measures Κ or does not measure it.
μετρείτω πρότερον.
Let it measure it first.
καὶ ὁσάκις ὁ Ε τὸν Κ μετρεῖ, τοσαυτάκις καὶ ὁ Ζ τὸν Λ μετρείτω.
And as many times as Ε measures Κ, so many times let Ζ also measure Λ.
καὶ ἐπεὶ ἰσάκις ὁ Α τὸν Θ μετρεῖ καὶ ὁ Β τὸν Η, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, οὕτως ὁ Θ πρὸς τὸν Η. διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ ὡς ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ, οὕτως ὁ Η πρὸς τὸν Κ, καὶ ἔτι ὡς ὁ Ε πρὸς τὸν Ζ, οὕτως ὁ Κ πρὸς τὸν Λ· οἱ Θ, Η, Κ, Λ ἄρα ἑξῆς ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν ἔν τε τῷ τοῦ Α πρὸς τὸν Β καὶ ἐν τῷ τοῦ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ καὶ ἔτι ἐν τῷ τοῦ Ε πρὸς τὸν Ζ λόγῳ.
And since Α measures Θ as many times as Β measures Η, therefore, as Α is to Β, so is Θ to Η. For the same reasons indeed, as Γ is to Δ, so is Η to Κ, and further, as Ε is to Ζ, so is Κ to Λ; therefore Θ, Η, Κ, Λ are in continued proportion in the ratio of Α to Β, and that of Γ to Δ, and further that of Ε to Ζ.
λέγω δή, ὅτι καὶ ἐλάχιστοι.
I say indeed that they are also the least.
εἰ γὰρ μή εἰσιν οἱ Θ, Η, Κ, Λ ἑξῆς ἀνάλογον ἐλάχιστοι ἔν τε τοῖς τοῦ Α πρὸς τὸν Β καὶ τοῦ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ καὶ ἐν τῷ τοῦ Ε πρὸς τὸν Ζ λόγοις, ἔστωσαν οἱ Ν, Ξ, Μ, Ο. καὶ ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, οὕτως ὁ Ν πρὸς τὸν Ξ, οἱ δὲ Α, Β ἐλάχιστοι, οἱ δὲ ἐλάχιστοι μετροῦσι τοὺς τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἔχοντας ἰσάκις ὅ τε μείζων τὸν μείζονα καὶ ὁ ἐλάσσων τὸν ἐλάσσονα, τουτέστιν ὅ τε ἡγούμενος τὸν ἡγούμενον καὶ ὁ ἑπόμενος τὸν ἑπόμενον, ὁ Β ἄρα τὸν Ξ μετρεῖ.
For if Θ, Η, Κ, Λ are not the least of those in continued proportion in the ratios of Α to Β, of Γ to Δ, and of Ε to Ζ, let them be Ν, Ξ, Μ, Ο. And since as Α is to Β, so is Ν to Ξ, and Α, Β are the least, and the least numbers measure those which have the same ratio as them an equal number of times, the greater the greater and the less the less, that is, the antecedent the antecedent and the consequent the consequent, therefore Β measures Ξ.
διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ ὁ Γ τὸν Ξ μετρεῖ· οἱ Β, Γ ἄρα τὸν Ξ μετροῦσιν· καὶ ὁ ἐλάχιστος ἄρα ὑπὸ τῶν Β, Γ μετρούμενος τὸν Ξ μετρήσει.
For the same reasons indeed, Γ also measures Ξ; therefore Β, Γ measure Ξ; therefore the least number measured by Β, Γ will also measure Ξ.
ἐλάχιστος δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν Β, Γ μετρεῖται ὁ Η· ὁ Η ἄρα τὸν Ξ μετρεῖ ὁ μείζων τὸν ἐλάσσονα· ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀδύνατον.
But the least number measured by Β, Γ is Η; therefore Η measures Ξ, the greater the less; which is impossible.
οὐκ ἄρα ἔσονταί τινες τῶν Θ, Η, Κ, Λ ἐλάσσονες ἀριθμοὶ ἑξῆς ἔν τε τῷ τοῦ Α πρὸς τὸν Β καὶ τῷ τοῦ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ καὶ ἔτι τῷ τοῦ Ε πρὸς τὸν Ζ λόγῳ.
Therefore there will not be any numbers less than Θ, Η, Κ, Λ in continued proportion in the ratio of Α to Β, that of Γ to Δ, and further that of Ε to Ζ.