Measurement of figures: Book 12 Proposition 7
Translations
Πᾶν πρίσμα τρίγωνον ἔχον βάσιν διαιρεῖται εἰς τρεῖς πυραμίδας ἴσας ἀλλήλαις τριγώνους βάσεις ἐχούσας. Ἔστω πρίσμα, οὗ βάσις μὲν τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον, ἀπεναντίον δὲ τὸ ΔΕΖ: λέγω, ὅτι τὸ ΑΒΓΔΕΖ πρίσμα διαιρεῖται εἰς τρεῖς πυραμίδας ἴσας ἀλλήλαις τριγώνους ἐχούσας βάσεις. Ἐπεζεύχθωσαν γὰρ αἱ ΒΔ, ΕΓ, ΓΔ. ἐπεὶ παραλληλόγραμμόν ἐστι τὸ ΑΒΕΔ, διάμετρος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἡ ΒΔ, ἴσον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΑΒΔ τρίγωνον τῷ ΕΒΔ τριγώνῳ: καὶ ἡ πυραμὶς ἄρα, ἧς βάσις μὲν τὸ ΑΒΔ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Γ σημεῖον, ἴση ἐστὶ πυραμίδι, ἧς βάσις μέν ἐστι τὸ ΔΕΒ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Γ σημεῖον. ἀλλὰ ἡ πυραμίς, ἧς βάσις μέν ἐστι τὸ ΔΕΒ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Γ σημεῖον, ἡ αὐτή ἐστι πυραμίδι, ἧς βάσις μέν ἐστι τὸ ΕΒΓ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Δ σημεῖον: ὑπὸ γὰρ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιπέδων περιέχεται. καὶ πυραμὶς ἄρα, ἧς βάσις μέν ἐστι τὸ ΑΒΔ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Γ σημεῖον, ἴση ἐστὶ πυραμίδι, ἧς βάσις μέν ἐστι τὸ ΕΒΓ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Δ σημεῖον. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ παραλληλόγραμμόν ἐστι τὸ ΖΓΒΕ, διάμετρος δέ ἐστιν αὐτοῦ ἡ ΓΕ, ἴσον ἐστὶ τὸ ΓΕΖ τρίγωνον τῷ ΓΒΕ τριγώνῳ. καὶ πυραμὶς ἄρα, ἧς βάσις μέν ἐστι τὸ ΒΓΕ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Δ σημεῖον, ἴση ἐστὶ πυραμίδι, ἧς βάσις μέν ἐστι τὸ ΕΓΖ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Δ σημεῖον. ἡ δὲ πυραμίς, ἧς βάσις μέν ἐστι τὸ ΒΓΕ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Δ σημεῖον, ἴση ἐδείχθη πυραμίδι, ἧς βάσις μέν ἐστι τὸ ΑΒΔ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Γ σημεῖον: καὶ πυραμὶς ἄρα, ἧς βάσις μέν ἐστι τὸ ΓΕΖ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Δ σημεῖον, ἴση ἐστὶ πυραμίδι, ἧς βάσις μὲν [ἐστι] τὸ ΑΒΔ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Γ σημεῖον: διῄρηται ἄρα τὸ ΑΒΓΔΕΖ πρίσμα εἰς τρεῖς πυραμίδας ἴσας ἀλλήλαις τριγώνους ἐχούσας βάσεις. Καὶ ἐπεὶ πυραμίς, ἧς βάσις μέν ἐστι τὸ ΑΒΔ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Γ σημεῖον, ἡ αὐτή ἐστι πυραμίδι, ἧς βάσις τὸ ΓΑΒ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Δ σημεῖον: ὑπὸ γὰρ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιπέδων περιέχονται: ἡ δὲ πυραμίς, ἧς βάσις τὸ ΑΒΔ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Γ σημεῖον, τρίτον ἐδείχθη τοῦ πρίσματος, οὗ βάσις τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον, ἀπεναντίον δὲ τὸ ΔΕΖ, καὶ ἡ πυραμὶς ἄρα, ἧς βάσις τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Δ σημεῖον, τρίτον ἐστὶ τοῦ πρίσματος τοῦ ἔχοντος βάσιν τὴν αὐτὴν τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον, ἀπεναντίον δὲ τὸ ΔΕΖ.Πόρισμα. Ἐκ δὴ τούτου φανερόν, ὅτι πᾶσα πυραμὶς τρίτον μέρος ἐστὶ τοῦ πρίσματος τοῦ τὴν αὐτὴν βάσιν ἔχοντος αὐτῇ καὶ ὕψος ἴσον [ἐπειδήπερ κἂν ἕτερόν τι σχῆμα εὐθύγραμμον ἔχῃ ἡ βάσις τοῦ πρίσματος, τοιοῦτο καὶ τὸ ἀπεναντίον, καὶ διαιρεῖται εἰς πρίσματα τρίγωνα ἔχοντα τὰς βάσεις καὶ τὰ ἀπεναντίον, καὶ ὡς ἡ ὅλη βάσις πρὸς ἕκαστον]: ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Any prism which has a triangular base is divided into three pyramids equal to one another which have triangular bases. Let there be a prism in which the triangle ABC is the base and DEF its opposite; I say that the prism ABCDEF is divided into three pyramids equal to one another, which have triangular bases. For let BD, EC, CD be joined. Since ABED is a parallelogram, and BD is its diameter, therefore the triangle ABD is equal to the triangle EBD; [I. 34] therefore also the pyramid of which the triangle ABD is the base and the point C the vertex is equal to the pyramid of which the triangle DEB is the base and the point C the vertex. [XII. 5] But the pyramid of which the triangle DEB is the base and the point C the vertex is the same with the pyramid of which the triangle EBC is the base and the point D the vertex; for they are contained by the same planes. Therefore the pyramid of which the triangle ABD is the base and the point C the vertex is also equal to the pyramid of which the triangle EBC is the base and the point D the vertex. Again, since FCBE is a parallelogram, and CE is its diameter, the triangle CEF is equal to the triangle CBE. [I. 34] Therefore also the pyramid of which the triangle BCE is the base and the point D the vertex is equal to the pyramid of which the triangle ECF is the base and the point D the vertex. [XII. 5] But the pyramid of which the triangle BCE is the base and the point D the vertex was proved equal to the pyramid of which the triangle ABD is the base and the point C the vertex; therefore also the pyramid of which the triangle CEF is the base and the point D the vertex is equal to the pyramid of which the triangle ABD is the base and the point C the vertex; therefore the prism ABCDEF has been divided into three pyramids equal to one another which have triangular bases. And, since the pyramid of which the triangle ABD is the base and the point C the vertex is the same with the pyramid of which the triangle CAB is the base and the point D the vertex, for they are contained by the same planes, while the pyramid of which the triangle ABD is the base and the point C the vertex was proved to be a third of the prism in which the triangle ABC is the base and DEF its opposite, therefore also the pyramid of which the triangle ABC is the base and the point D the vertex is a third of the prism which has the same base, the triangle ABC, and DEF as its opposite.Porism. From this it is manifest that any pyramid is a third part of the prism which has the same base with it and equal height.