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Theory of proportions: Book 5 Proposition 15

Translations

Τὰ μέρη τοῖς ὡσαύτως πολλαπλασίοις τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχει λόγον ληφθέντα κατάλληλα. Ἔστω γὰρ ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΑΒ τοῦ Γ καὶ τὸ ΔΕ τοῦ Ζ: λέγω, ὅτι ἐστὶν ὡς τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Ζ, οὕτως τὸ ΑΒ πρὸς τὸ ΔΕ. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΑΒ τοῦ Γ καὶ τὸ ΔΕ τοῦ Ζ, ὅσα ἄρα ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ ΑΒ μεγέθη ἴσα τῷ Γ, τοσαῦτα καὶ ἐν τῷ ΔΕ ἴσα τῷ Ζ. διῃρήσθω τὸ μὲν ΑΒ εἰς τὰ τῷ Γ ἴσα τὰ ΑΗ, ΗΘ, ΘΒ, τὸ δὲ ΔΕ εἰς τὰ τῷ Ζ ἴσα τὰ ΔΚ, ΚΛ, ΛΕ: ἔσται δὴ ἴσον τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ΑΗ, ΗΘ, ΘΒ τῷ πλήθει τῶν ΔΚ, ΚΛ, ΛΕ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἴσα ἐστὶ τὰ ΑΗ, ΗΘ, ΘΒ ἀλλήλοις, ἔστι δὲ καὶ τὰ ΔΚ, ΚΛ, ΛΕ ἴσα ἀλλήλοις, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς τὸ ΑΗ πρὸς τὸ ΔΚ, οὕτως τὸ ΗΘ πρὸς τὸ ΚΛ, καὶ τὸ ΘΒ πρὸς τὸ ΛΕ. ἔσται ἄρα καὶ ὡς ἓν τῶν ἡγουμένων πρὸς ἓν τῶν ἑπομένων, οὕτως ἅπαντα τὰ ἡγούμενα πρὸς ἅπαντα τὰ ἑπόμενα: ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς τὸ ΑΗ πρὸς τὸ ΔΚ, οὕτως τὸ ΑΒ πρὸς τὸ ΔΕ. ἴσον δὲ τὸ μὲν ΑΗ τῷ Γ, τὸ δὲ ΔΚ τῷ Ζ: ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Ζ οὕτως τὸ ΑΒ πρὸς τὸ ΔΕ. Τὰ ἄρα μέρη τοῖς ὡσαύτως πολλαπλασίοις τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχει λόγον ληφθέντα κατάλληλα: ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.

Parts have the same ratio as the same multiples of them taken in corresponding order. For let AB be the same multiple of C that DE is of F; I say that, as C is to F, so is AB to DE. For, since AB is the same multiple of C that DE is of F, as many magnitudes as there are in AB equal to C, so many are there also in DE equal to F. Let AB be divided into the magnitudes AG, GH, HB equal to C, and DE into the magnitudes DK, KL, LE equal to F; then the multitude of the magnitudes AG, GH, HB will be equal to the multitude of the magnitudes DK, KL, LE. And, since AG. GH, HB are equal to one another, and DK, KL, LE are also equal to one another, therefore, as AG is to DK, so is GH to KL, and HB to LE. [V. 7] Therefore, as one of the antecedents is to one of the consequents, so will all the antecedents be to all the consequents; [V. 12] therefore, as AG is to DK, so is AB to DE. But AG is equal to C and DK to F; therefore, as C is to F, so is AB to DE.