Fundamentals of number theory: Book 7 Proposition 16
Translations
Ἐὰν δύο ἀριθμοὶ πολλαπλασιάσαντες ἀλλήλους ποιῶσί τινας, οἱ γενόμενοι ἐξ αὐτῶν ἴσοι ἀλλήλοις ἔσονται. Ἔστωσαν δύο ἀριθμοὶ οἱ Α, Β, καὶ ὁ μὲν Α τὸν Β πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Γ ποιείτω, ὁ δὲ Β τὸν Α πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Δ ποιείτω: λέγω, ὅτι ἴσος ἐστὶν ὁ Γ τῷ Δ. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ Α τὸν Β πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Γ πεποίηκεν, ὁ Β ἄρα τὸν Γ μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν τῷ Α μονάδας. μετρεῖ δὲ καὶ ἡ Ε μονὰς τὸν Α ἀριθμὸν κατὰ τὰς ἐν αὐτῷ μονάδας: ἰσάκις ἄρα ἡ Ε μονὰς τὸν Α ἀριθμὸν μετρεῖ καὶ ὁ Β τὸν Γ. ἐναλλὰξ ἄρα ἰσάκις ἡ Ε μονὰς τὸν Β ἀριθμὸν μετρεῖ καὶ ὁ Α τὸν Γ. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ὁ Β τὸν Α πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Δ πεποίηκεν, ὁ Α ἄρα τὸν Δ μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν τῷ Β μονάδας. μετρεῖ δὲ καὶ ἡ Ε μονὰς τὸν Β κατὰ τὰς ἐν αὐτῷ μονάδας: ἰσάκις ἄρα ἡ Ε μονὰς τὸν Β ἀριθμὸν μετρεῖ καὶ ὁ Α τὸν Δ. ἰσάκις δὲ ἡ Ε μονὰς τὸν Β ἀριθμὸν ἐμέτρει καὶ ὁ Α τὸν Γ: ἰσάκις ἄρα ὁ Α ἑκάτερον τῶν Γ, Δ μετρεῖ. ἴσος ἄρα ἐστὶν ὁ Γ τῷ Δ: ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
If two numbers by multiplying one another make certain numbers, the numbers so produced will be equal to one another. Let A, B be two numbers, and let A by multiplying B make C, and B by multiplying A make D; I say that C is equal to D. For, since A by multiplying B has made C, therefore B measures C according to the units in A. But the unit E also measures the number A according to the units in it; therefore the unit E measures A the same number of times that B measures C. Therefore, alternately, the unit E measures the number B the same number of times that A measures C. [VII. 15] Again, since B by multiplying A has made D, therefore A measures D according to the units in B. But the unit E also measures B according to the units in it; therefore the unit E measures the number B the same number of times that A measures D. But the unit E measured the number B the same number of times that A measures C; therefore A measures each of the numbers C, D the same number of times.