Triangles, parallels, and area: Book 1 Proposition 7
Translations
Ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς εὐθείας δύο ταῖς αὐταῖς εὐθείαις ἄλλαι δύο εὐθεῖαι ἴσαι ἑκατέρα ἑκατέρᾳ οὐ συσταθήσονται πρὸς ἄλλῳ καὶ ἄλλῳ σημείῳ ἐπὶ τὰ αὐτὰ μέρη τὰ αὐτὰ πέρατα ἔχουσαι ταῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς εὐθείαις. Εἰ γὰρ δυνατόν, ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς εὐθείας τῆς ΑΒ δύο ταῖς αὐταῖς εὐθείαις ταῖς ΑΓ, ΓΒ ἄλλαι δύο εὐθεῖαι αἱ ΑΔ, ΔΒ ἴσαι ἑκατέρα ἑκατέρᾳ συνεστάτωσαν πρὸς ἄλλῳ καὶ ἄλλῳ σημείῳ τῷ τε Γ καὶ Δ ἐπὶ τὰ αὐτὰ μέρη τὰ αὐτὰ πέρατα ἔχουσαι, ὥστε ἴσην εἶναι τὴν μὲν ΓΑ τῇ ΔΑ τὸ αὐτὸ πέρας ἔχουσαν αὐτῇ τὸ Α, τὴν δὲ ΓΒ τῇ ΔΒ τὸ αὐτὸ πέρας ἔχουσαν αὐτῇ τὸ Β, καὶ ἐπεζεύχθω ἡ ΓΔ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ ΑΓ τῇ ΑΔ, ἴση ἐστὶ καὶ γωνία ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΓΔ τῇ ὑπὸ ΑΔΓ: μείζων ἄρα ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΔΓ τῆς ὑπὸ ΔΓΒ: πολλῷ ἄρα ἡ ὑπὸ ΓΔΒ μείζων ἐστὶ τῆς ὑπὸ ΔΓΒ. πάλιν ἐπεὶ ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ ΓΒ τῇ ΔΒ, ἴση ἐστὶ καὶ γωνία ἡ ὑπὸ ΓΔΒ γωνίᾳ τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΓΒ. ἐδείχθη δὲ αὐτῆς καὶ πολλῷ μείζων: ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀδύνατον. Οὐκ ἄρα ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς εὐθείας δύο ταῖς αὐταῖς εὐθείαις ἄλλαι δύο εὐθεῖαι ἴσαι ἑκατέρα ἑκατέρᾳ συσταθήσονται πρὸς ἄλλῳ καὶ ἄλλῳ σημείῳ ἐπὶ τὰ αὐτὰ μέρη τὰ αὐτὰ πέρατα ἔχουσαι ταῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς εὐθείαις: ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Given two straight lines constructed on a straight line (from its extremities) and meeting in a point, there cannot be constructed on the same straight line (from its extremities), and on the same side of it, two other straight lines meeting in another point and equal to the former two respectively, namely each to that which has the same extremity with it. For, if possible, given two straight lines AC, CB constructed on the straight line AB and meeting at the point C, let two other straight lines AD, DB be constructed on the same straight line AB, on the same side of it, meeting in another point D and equal to the former two respectively, namely each to that which has the same extremity with it, so that CA is equal to DA which has the same extremity A with it, and CB to DB which has the same extremity B with it; and let CD be joined. Then, since AC is equal to AD, the angle ACD is also equal to the angle ADC; [I. 5] therefore the angle ADC is greater than the angle DCB; therefore the angle CDB is much greater than the angle DCB. Again, since CB is equal to DB, the angle CDB is also equal to the angle DCB. But it was also proved much greater than it: which is impossible. Therefore etc.