Circles: Book 3 Proposition 16
Translations
Ἡ τῇ διαμέτρῳ τοῦ κύκλου πρὸς ὀρθὰς ἀπ' ἄκρας ἀγομένη ἐκτὸς πεσεῖται τοῦ κύκλου, καὶ εἰς τὸν μεταξὺ τόπον τῆς τε εὐθείας καὶ τῆς περιφερείας ἑτέρα εὐθεῖα οὐ παρεμπεσεῖται, καὶ ἡ μὲν τοῦ ἡμικυκλίου γωνία ἁπάσης γωνίας ὀξείας εὐθυγράμμου μείζων ἐστίν, ἡ δὲ λοιπὴ ἐλάττων. Ἔστω κύκλος ὁ ΑΒΓ περὶ κέντρον τὸ Δ καὶ διάμετρον τὴν ΑΒ: λέγω, ὅτι ἡ ἀπὸ τοῦ Α τῇ ΑΒ πρὸς ὀρθὰς ἀπ' ἄκρας ἀγομένη ἐκτὸς πεσεῖται τοῦ κύκλου. Μὴ γάρ, ἀλλ' εἰ δυνατόν, πιπτέτω ἐντὸς ὡς ἡ ΓΑ, καὶ ἐπεζεύχθω ἡ ΔΓ. Ἐπεὶ ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ ΔΑ τῇ ΔΓ, ἴση ἐστὶ καὶ γωνία ἡ ὑπὸ ΔΑΓ γωνίᾳ τῇ ὑπὸ ΑΓΔ. ὀρθὴ δὲ ἡ ὑπὸ ΔΑΓ: ὀρθὴ ἄρα καὶ ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΓΔ: τριγώνου δὴ τοῦ ΑΓΔ αἱ δύο γωνίαι αἱ ὑπὸ ΔΑΓ, ΑΓΔ δύο ὀρθαῖς ἴσαι εἰσίν: ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀδύνατον. οὐκ ἄρα ἡ ἀπὸ τοῦ Α σημείου τῇ ΒΑ πρὸς ὀρθὰς ἀγομένη ἐντὸς πεσεῖται τοῦ κύκλου. ὁμοίως δὴ δείξομεν, ὅτι οὐδ' ἐπὶ τῆς περιφερείας: ἐκτὸς ἄρα. Πιπτέτω ὡς ἡ ΑΕ: λέγω δή, ὅτι εἰς τὸν μεταξὺ τόπον τῆς τε ΑΕ εὐθείας καὶ τῆς ΓΘΑ περιφερείας ἑτέρα εὐθεῖα οὐ παρεμπεσεῖται. Εἰ γὰρ δυνατόν, παρεμπιπτέτω ὡς ἡ ΖΑ, καὶ ἤχθω ἀπὸ τοῦ Δ σημείου ἐπὶ τὴν ΖΑ κάθετος ἡ ΔΗ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ὀρθή ἐστιν ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΗΔ, ἐλάττων δὲ ὀρθῆς ἡ ὑπὸ ΔΑΗ, μείζων ἄρα ἡ ΑΔ τῆς ΔΗ. ἴση δὲ ἡ ΔΑ τῇ ΔΘ: μείζων ἄρα ἡ ΔΘ τῆς ΔΗ, ἡ ἐλάττων τῆς μείζονος: ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀδύνατον. οὐκ ἄρα εἰς τὸν μεταξὺ τόπον τῆς τε εὐθείας καὶ τῆς περιφερείας ἑτέρα εὐθεῖα παρεμπεσεῖται. Λέγω, ὅτι καὶ ἡ μὲν τοῦ ἡμικυκλίου γωνία ἡ περιεχομένη ὑπό τε τῆς ΒΑ εὐθείας καὶ τῆς ΓΘΑ περιφερείας ἁπάσης γωνίας ὀξείας εὐθυγράμμου μείζων ἐστίν, ἡ δὲ λοιπὴ ἡ περιεχομένη ὑπό τε τῆς ΓΘΑ περιφερείας καὶ τῆς ΑΕ εὐθείας ἁπάσης γωνίας ὀξείας εὐθυγράμμου ἐλάττων ἐστίν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐστί τις γωνία εὐθύγραμμος μείζων μὲν τῆς περιεχομένης ὑπό τε τῆς ΒΑ εὐθείας καὶ τῆς ΓΘΑ περιφερείας, ἐλάττων δὲ τῆς περιεχομένης ὑπό τε τῆς ΓΘΑ περιφερείας καὶ τῆς ΑΕ εὐθείας, εἰς τὸν μεταξὺ τόπον τῆς τε ΓΘΑ περιφερείας καὶ τῆς ΑΕ εὐθείας εὐθεῖα περεμπεσεῖται, ἥτις ποιήσει μείζονα μὲν τῆς περιεχομένης ὑπό τε τῆς ΒΑ εὐθείας καὶ τῆς ΓΘΑ περιφερείας ὑπὸ εὐθειῶν περιεχομένην, ἐλάττονα δὲ τῆς περιεχομένης ὑπό τε τῆς ΓΘΑ περιφερείας καὶ τῆς ΑΕ εὐθείας. οὐ παρεμπίπτει δέ: οὐκ ἄρα τῆς περιεχομένης γωνίας ὑπό τε τῆς ΒΑ εὐθείας καὶ τῆς ΓΘΑ περιφερείας ἔσται μείζων ὀξεῖα ὑπὸ εὐθειῶν περιεχομένη, οὐδὲ μὴν ἐλάττων τῆς περιεχομένης ὑπό τε τῆς ΓΘΑ περιφερείας καὶ τῆς ΑΕ εὐθείας.Πόρισμα. Ἐκ δὴ τούτου φανερόν, ὅτι ἡ τῇ διαμέτρῳ τοῦ κύκλου πρὸς ὀρθὰς ἀπ' ἄκρας ἀγομένη ἐφάπτεται τοῦ κύκλου [καὶ ὅτι εὐθεῖα κύκλου καθ' ἓν μόνον ἐφάπτεται σημεῖον, ἐπειδήπερ καὶ ἡ κατὰ δύο αὐτῷ συμβάλλουσα ἐντὸς αὐτοῦ πίπτουσα ἐδείχθη]. ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
The straight line drawn at right angles to the diameter of a circle from its extremity will fall outside the circle, and into the space between the straight line and the circumference another straight line cannot be interposed; further the angle of the semicircle is greater, and the remaining angle less, than any acute rectilineal angle. Let ABC be a circle about D as centre and AB as diameter; I say that the straight line drawn from A at right angles to AB from its extremity will fall outside the circle. For suppose it does not, but, if possible, let it fall within as CA, and let DC be joined. Since DA is equal to DC, the angle DAC is also equal to the angle ACD. [I. 5] But the angle DAC is right; therefore the angle ACD is also right: thus, in the triangle ACD, the two angles DAC, ACD are equal to two right angles: which is impossible. [I. 17] Therefore the straight line drawn from the point A at right angles to BA will not fall within the circle. Similarly we can prove that neither will it fall on the circumference; therefore it will fall outside. Let it fall as AE; I say next that into the space between the straight line AE and the circumference CHA another straight line cannot be interposed. For, if possible, let another straight line be so interposed, as FA, and let DG be drawn from the point D perpendicular to FA. Then, since the angle AGD is right, and the angle DAG is less than a right angle, AD is greater than DG. [I. 19] But DA is equal to DH; therefore DH is greater than DG, the less than the greater: which is impossible. Therefore another straight line cannot be interposed into the space between the straight line and the circumference. I say further that the angle of the semicircle contained by the straight line BA and the circumference CHA is greater than any acute rectilineal angle, and the remaining angle contained by the circumference CHA and the straight line AE is less than any acute rectilineal angle. For, if there is any rectilineal angle greater than the angle contained by the straight line BA and the circumference CHA, and any rectilineal angle less than the angle contained by the circumference CHA and the straight line AE, then into the space between the circumference and the straight line AE a straight line will be interposed such as will make an angle contained by straight lines which is greater than the angle contained by the straight line BA and the circumference CHA, and another angle contained by straight lines which is less than the angle contained by the circumference CHA and the straight line AE. But such a straight line cannot be interposed; therefore there will not be any acute angle contained by straight lines which is greater than the angle contained by the straight line BA and the circumference CHA, nor yet any acute angle contained by straight lines which is less than the angle contained by the circumference CHA and the straight line AE.Porism. From this it is manifest that the straight line drawn at right angles to the diameter of a circle from its extremity touches the circle.