Book VII, Proposition 14

If there be as many numbers as we please, and others equal to them in multitude, which taken two and two are in the same ratio, they will also be in the same ratio ex aequali.

Ἐὰν ὦσιν ὁποσοιοῦν ἀριθμοὶ καὶ ἄλλοι αὐτοῖς ἴσοι τὸ πλῆθος σύνδυο λαμβανόμενοι καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ, καὶ δι' ἴσου ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ ἔσονται. Ἔστωσαν ὁποσοιοῦν ἀριθμοὶ οἱ Α, Β, Γ καὶ ἄλλοι αὐτοῖς ἴσοι τὸ πλῆθος σύνδυο λαμβανόμενοι ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ οἱ Δ, Ε, Ζ, ὡς μὲν ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, οὕτως ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ε, ὡς δὲ ὁ Β πρὸς τὸν Γ, οὕτως ὁ Ε πρὸς τὸν Ζ: λέγω, ὅτι καὶ δι' ἴσου ἐστὶν ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Γ, οὕτως ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ. Ἐπεὶ γάρ ἐστιν ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, οὕτως ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ε, ἐναλλὰξ ἄρα ἐστὶν ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Δ, οὕτως ὁ Β πρὸς τὸν Ε. πάλιν, ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς ὁ Β πρὸς τὸν Γ, οὕτως ὁ Ε πρὸς τὸν Ζ, ἐναλλὰξ ἄρα ἐστὶν ὡς ὁ Β πρὸς τὸν Ε, οὕτως ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Ζ. ὡς δὲ ὁ Β πρὸς τὸν Ε, οὕτως ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Δ: καὶ ὡς ἄρα ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Δ, οὕτως ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Ζ: ἐναλλὰξ ἄρα ἐστὶν ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Γ, οὕτως ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ: ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι. If there be as many numbers as we please, and others equal to them in multitude, which taken two and two are in the same ratio, they will also be in the same ratio ex aequali. Let there be as many numbers as we please A, B, C, and others equal to them in multitude D, E, F, which taken two and two are in the same ratio, so that, as A is to B, so is D to E, and, as B is to C, so is E to F; I say that, ex aequali, as A is to C, so also is D to F. For, since, as A is to B, so is D to E, therefore, alternately, as A is to D, so is B to E. [VII. 13] Again, since, as B is to C, so is E to F, therefore, alternately, as B is to E, so is C to F. [VII. 13] But, as B is to E, so is A to D; therefore also, as A is to D, so is C to F.

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