Triangles, parallels, and area: Book 1 Proposition 45
Translations
Τῷ δοθέντι εὐθυγράμμῳ ἴσον παραλληλόγραμμον συστήσασθαι ἐν τῇ δοθείσῃ γωνίᾳ εὐθυγράμμῳ. Ἔστω τὸ μὲν δοθὲν εὐθύγραμμον τὸ ΑΒΓΔ, ἡ δὲ δοθεῖσα γωνία εὐθύγραμμος ἡ Ε: δεῖ δὴ τῷ ΑΒΓΔ εὐθυγράμμῳ ἴσον παραλληλόγραμμον συστήσασθαι ἐν τῇ δοθείσῃ γωνίᾳ τῇ Ε. Ἐπεζεύχθω ἡ ΔΒ, καὶ συνεστάτω τῷ ΑΒΔ τριγώνῳ ἴσον παραλληλόγραμμον τὸ ΖΘ ἐν τῇ ὑπὸ ΘΚΖ γωνίᾳ, ἥ ἐστιν ἴση τῇ Ε: καὶ παραβεβλήσθω παρὰ τὴν ΗΘ εὐθεῖαν τῷ ΔΒΓ τριγώνῳ ἴσον παραλληλόγραμμον τὸ ΗΜ ἐν τῇ ὑπὸ ΗΘΜ γωνίᾳ, ἥ ἐστιν ἴση τῇ Ε. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἡ Ε γωνία ἑκατέρᾳ τῶν ὑπὸ ΘΚΖ, ΗΘΜ ἐστιν ἴση, καὶ ἡ ὑπὸ ΘΚΖ ἄρα τῇ ὑπὸ ΗΘΜ ἐστιν ἴση. κοινὴ προσκείσθω ἡ ὑπὸ ΚΘΗ: αἱ ἄρα ὑπὸ ΖΚΘ, ΚΘΗ ταῖς ὑπὸ ΚΘΗ, ΗΘΜ ἴσαι εἰσίν. ἀλλ' αἱ ὑπὸ ΖΚΘ, ΚΘΗ δυσὶν ὀρθαῖς ἴσαι εἰσίν: καὶ αἱ ὑπὸ ΚΘΗ, ΗΘΜ ἄρα δύο ὀρθαῖς ἴσαι εἰσίν. πρὸς δή τινι εὐθείᾳ τῇ ΗΘ καὶ τῷ πρὸς αὐτῇ σημείῳ τῷ Θ δύο εὐθεῖαι αἱ ΚΘ, ΘΜ μὴ ἐπὶ τὰ αὐτὰ μέρη κείμεναι τὰς ἐφεξῆς γωνίας δύο ὀρθαῖς ἴσας ποιοῦσιν: ἐπ' εὐθείας ἄρα ἐστὶν ἡ ΚΘ τῇ ΘΜ: καὶ ἐπεὶ εἰς παραλλήλους τὰς ΚΜ, ΖΗ εὐθεῖα ἐνέπεσεν ἡ ΘΗ, αἱ ἐναλλὰξ γωνίαι αἱ ὑπὸ ΜΘΗ, ΘΗΖ ἴσαι ἀλλήλαις εἰσίν. κοινὴ προσκείσθω ἡ ὑπὸ ΘΗΛ: αἱ ἄρα ὑπὸ ΜΘΗ, ΘΗΛ ταῖς ὑπὸ ΘΗΖ, ΘΗΛ ἴσαι εἰσίν. ἀλλ' αἱ ὑπὸ ΜΘΗ, ΘΗΛ δύο ὀρθαῖς ἴσαι εἰσίν: καὶ αἱ ὑπὸ ΘΗΖ, ΘΗΛ ἄρα δύο ὀρθαῖς ἴσαι εἰσίν: ἐπ' εὐθείας ἄρα ἐστὶν ἡ ΖΗ τῇ ΗΛ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἡ ΖΚ τῇ ΘΗ ἴση τε καὶ παράλληλός ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ΘΗ τῇ ΜΛ, καὶ ἡ ΚΖ ἄρα τῇ ΜΛ ἴση τε καὶ παράλληλός ἐστιν: καὶ ἐπιζευγνύουσιν αὐτὰς εὐθεῖαι αἱ ΚΜ, ΖΛ: καὶ αἱ ΚΜ, ΖΛ ἄρα ἴσαι τε καὶ παράλληλοί εἰσιν: παραλληλόγραμμον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΚΖΛΜ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἴσον ἐστὶ τὸ μὲν ΑΒΔ τρίγωνον τῷ ΖΘ παραλληλογράμμῳ, τὸ δὲ ΔΒΓ τῷ ΗΜ, ὅλον ἄρα τὸ ΑΒΓΔ εὐθύγραμμον ὅλῳ τῷ ΚΖΛΜ παραλληλογράμμῳ ἐστὶν ἴσον. Τῷ ἄρα δοθέντι εὐθυγράμμῳ τῷ ΑΒΓΔ ἴσον παραλληλόγραμμον συνέσταται τὸ ΚΖΛΜ ἐν γωνίᾳ τῇ ὑπὸ ΖΚΜ, ἥ ἐστιν ἴση τῇ δοθείσῃ τῇ Ε: ὅπερ ἔδει ποιῆσαι.
To construct, in a given rectilineal angle, a parallelogram equal to a given rectilineal figure. Let ABCD be the given rectilineal figure and E the given rectilineal angle; thus it is required to construct, in the given angle E, a parallelogram equal to the rectilineal figure ABCD. Let DB be joined, and let the parallelogram FH be constructed equal to the triangle ABD, in the angle HKF which is equal to E; [I. 42] let the parallelogram GM equal to the triangle DBC be applied to the straight line GH, in the angle GHM which is equal to E. [I. 44] Then, since the angle E is equal to each of the angles HKF, GHM, the angle HKF is also equal to the angle GHM. [C.N. 1] Let the angle KHG be added to each; therefore the angles FKH, KHG are equal to the angles KHG, GHM. But the angles FKH, KHG are equal to two right angles; [I. 29] therefore the angles KHG, GHM are also equal to two right angles. Thus, with a straight line GH, and at the point H on it, two straight lines KH, HM not lying on the same side make the adjacent angles equal to two right angles; therefore KH is in a straight line with HM. [I. 14] And, since the straight line HG falls upon the parallels KM, FG, the alternate angles MHG, HGF are equal to one another. [I. 29] Let the angle HGL be added to each; therefore the angles MHG, HGL are equal to the angles HGF, HGL. [C.N. 2] But the angles MHG, HGL are equal to two right angles; [I. 29] therefore the angles HGF, HGL are also equal to two right angles. [C.N. 1] Therefore FG is in a straight line with GL. [I. 14] And, since FK is equal and parallel to HG, [I. 34] and HG to ML also, KF is also equal and parallel to ML; [C.N. 1I. 30] and the straight lines KM, FL join them (at their extremities); therefore KM, FL are also equal and parallel. [I. 33] Therefore KFLM is a parallelogram. And, since the triangle ABD is equal to the parallelogram FH, and DBC to GM, the whole rectilineal figure ABCD is equal to the whole parallelogram KFLM. Therefore the parallelogram KFLM has been constructed equal to the given rectilineal figure ABCD, in the angle FKM which is equal to the given angle E.