Circles: Book 3 Proposition 4
Translations
Ἐὰν ἐν κύκλῳ δύο εὐθεῖαι τέμνωσιν ἀλλήλας μὴ διὰ τοῦ κέντρου οὖσαι, οὐ τέμνουσιν ἀλλήλας δίχα. Ἔστω κύκλος ὁ ΑΒΓΔ, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ δύο εὐθεῖαι αἱ ΑΓ, ΒΔ τεμνέτωσαν ἀλλήλας κατὰ τὸ Ε μὴ διὰ τοῦ κέντρου οὖσαι: λέγω, ὅτι οὐ τέμνουσιν ἀλλήλας δίχα. Εἰ γὰρ δυνατόν, τεμνέτωσαν ἀλλήλας δίχα ὥστε ἴσην εἶναι τὴν μὲν ΑΕ τῇ ΕΓ, τὴν δὲ ΒΕ τῇ ΕΔ: καὶ εἰλήφθω τὸ κέντρον τοῦ ΑΒΓΔ κύκλου, καὶ ἔστω τὸ Ζ, καὶ ἐπεζεύχθω ἡ ΖΕ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν εὐθεῖά τις διὰ τοῦ κέντρου ἡ ΖΕ εὐθεῖάν τινα μὴ διὰ τοῦ κέντρου τὴν ΑΓ δίχα τέμνει, καὶ πρὸς ὀρθὰς αὐτὴν τέμνει: ὀρθὴ ἄρα ἐστὶν ἡ ὑπὸ ΖΕΑ: πάλιν, ἐπεὶ εὐθεῖά τις ἡ ΖΕ εὐθεῖάν τινα τὴν ΒΔ δίχα τέμνει, καὶ πρὸς ὀρθὰς αὐτὴν τέμνει: ὀρθὴ ἄρα ἡ ὑπὸ ΖΕΒ. ἐδείχθη δὲ καὶ ἡ ὑπὸ ΖΕΑ ὀρθή: ἴση ἄρα ἡ ὑπὸ ΖΕΑ τῇ ὑπὸ ΖΕΒ ἡ ἐλάττων τῇ μείζονι: ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀδύνατον. οὐκ ἄρα αἱ ΑΓ, ΒΔ τέμνουσιν ἀλλήλας δίχα. Ἐὰν ἄρα ἐν κύκλῳ δύο εὐθεῖαι τέμνωσιν ἀλλήλας μὴ διὰ τοῦ κέντρου οὖσαι, οὐ τέμνουσιν ἀλλήλας δίχα: ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
If in a circle two straight lines cut one another which are not through the centre, they do not bisect one another. Let ABCD be a circle, and in it let the two straight lines AC, BD, which are not through the centre, cut one another at E; I say that they do not bisect one another. For, if possible, let them bisect one another, so that AE is equal to EC, and BE to ED; let the centre of the circle ABCD be taken [III. 1], and let it be F; let FE be joined. Then, since a straight line FE through the centre bisects a straight line AC not through the centre, it also cuts it at right angles; [III. 3] therefore the angle FEA is right. Again, since a straight line FE bisects a straight line BD, it also cuts it at right angles; [III. 3] therefore the angle FEB is right. But the angle FEA was also proved right; therefore the angle FEA is equal to the angle FEB, the less to the greater: which is impossible. Therefore AC, BD do not bisect one another.