History of Ancient Science

26.11.2020

T.1 Eutocius1 Commentary on Archimedes’ On the Sphere and the Cylinder 88.3-96.27 Heiberg-Stamatis
(v.8 epigrammatis citat Procl. In Eucl. 111.23 Friedlein)

According to Eratosthenes Ὡς Ἐρατοσθένης

To king Ptolemy Eratosthenes greetings. βασιλεῖ Πτολεμαίῳ Ἐρατοσθένης χαίρειν.

They say that one of the ancient tragic poets represented Minos as τῶν ἀρχαίων τινὰ τραγῳδοποιῶν φασιν εἰσαγαγεῖν τὸν Μίνω τῷ
constructing the tomb for Glaucus and, having found out that it was a Γλαύκῳ κατασκευάζοντα τάφον, πυθόμενον δέ, ὅτι πανταχοῦ
hundred feet long on each side, he said: ἑκατόμπεδος εἴη, εἰπεῖν·

“You have chosen a small sepulchre for a royal tomb; μικρόν γ’ ἔλεξας βασιλικοῦ σηκὸν τάφου·
let it be double, but not to ruin its beauty, διπλάσιος ἔστω, τοῦ καλοῦ δὲ μὴ σφαλεὶς
double quickly each side of the tomb”. δίπλαζ’ ἕκαστον κῶλον ἐν τάχει τάφου.

He seemed to have made a mistake: for when the sides are doubled, the ἐδόκει δὲ διημαρτηκέναι· τῶν γὰρ πλευρῶν διπλασιασθεισῶν τὸ μὲν
surface becomes four times, and the volume becomes eight times. ἐπίπεδον γίνεται τετραπλάσιον, τὸ δὲ στερεὸν ὀκταπλάσιον.

That was also a matter of inquiry for geometers, in which way someone ἐζητεῖτο δὲ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς γεωμέτραις, τίνα ἄν τις τρόπον τὸ δοθὲν
might have been able to double a given solid while keeping the same στερεὸν διαμένον ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ σχήματι διπλασιάσειεν, καὶ ἐκαλεῖτο τὸ
shape, and that problem was called [the] doubling of the cube: indeed, τοιοῦτον πρόβλημα κύβου διπλασιασμός· ὑποθέμενοι γὰρ κύβον
given a cube, they tried to double it. Many have been puzzled for a long ἐζήτουν τοῦτον διπλασιάσαι. πάντων δὲ διαπορούντων ἐπὶ πολὺν

1
Eutocius of Ascalon lived between the fifth and the sixth century CE and is famous as commentator of Archimedes’ works.
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time, but then Hippocrates of Chios first realised that, if it was possible
to find two mean lines in continuous proportion between two straight
lines, of which the greater is the double of the smaller, the cube would
have been doubled; in this way the puzzle was converted by him into
another not inferior puzzle.
They say that after some time certain Delians, trying to double a certain
altar in accordance with the oracle, fell into the same puzzle, and
sending an embassy to the geometers who were with Plato in the
Academy they asked them to find what they were looking for. Among
those who applied themselves with diligence and tried to take two
means of two given lines, Archytas of Tarentum is said to have found
them by means of semi-cylinders, Eudoxus by means of the so-called
curved lines. But it happened that they all gave solutions in a
demonstrative way, and they could not give a practical construction nor
make it useful, except, to a small extent, Menaechmus, and also with
difficulty.
But a certain simple instrumental solution has been devised by me, by
means of which we will find not only two means of two given lines, but
as many as one desires. Since this has been found, we will be able
generally to convert a given solid into a cube surrounded by
parallelograms or transform it from one shape to another and make it
similar and make it larger while keeping the similarity, thus also for
altars and temples. We could also convert into a cube the measures of
liquids and dry things, I say for example metretes or medimnos, and by
means of its side we could measure the vessels suitable for receiving
χρόνον πρῶτος Ἱπποκράτης ὁ Χῖος ἐπενόησεν, ὅτι, ἐὰν εὑρεθῇ δύο
εὐθειῶν γραμμῶν, ὧν ἡ μείζων τῆς ἐλάσσονός ἐστι διπλασία, δύο μέσας
ἀνάλογον λαβεῖν ἐν συνεχεῖ ἀναλογίᾳ, διπλασιασθήσεται ὁ κύβος, ὥστε
τὸ ἀπόρημα αὐτῷ εἰς ἕτερον οὐκ ἔλασσον ἀπόρημα κατέστρεφεν.
μετὰ χρόνον δὲ τινάς φασιν Δηλίους ἐπιβαλλομένους κατὰ χρησμὸν
διπλασιάσαι τινὰ τῶν βωμῶν ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ ἀπόρημα,
διαπεμψαμένους δὲ τοὺς παρὰ τῷ Πλάτωνι ἐν Ἀκαδημίᾳ γεωμέτρας
ἀξιοῦν αὑτοῖς εὑρεῖν τὸ ζητούμενον. τῶν δὲ φιλοπόνως ἐπιδιδόντων
ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ζητούντων δύο τῶν δοθεισῶν δύο μέσας λαβεῖν Ἀρχύτας
μὲν ὁ Ταραντῖνος λέγεται διὰ τῶν ἡμικυλίνδρων εὑρηκέναι, Εὔδοξος δὲ
διὰ τῶν καλουμένων καμπύλων γραμμῶν· συμβέβηκε δὲ πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς
ἀποδεικτικῶς γεγραφέναι, χειρουργῆσαι δὲ καὶ εἰς χρείαν πεσεῖν μὴ
δύνασθαι πλὴν ἐπὶ βραχύ τι τὸν Μέναιχμον καὶ ταῦτα δυσχερῶς.
ἐπινενόηται δέ τις ὑφ’ ἡμῶν ὀργανικὴ λῆψις ῥᾳδία, δι’ ἧς εὑρήσομεν
δύο τῶν δοθεισῶν οὐ μόνον δύο μέσας, ἀλλ’ ὅσας ἄν τις ἐπιτάξῃ.
τούτου δὲ εὑρισκομένου δυνησόμεθα καθόλου τὸ δοθὲν στερεὸν
παραλληλογράμμοις περιεχόμενον εἰς κύβον καθιστάναι ἢ ἐξ ἑτέρου εἰς
ἕτερον μετασχηματίζειν καὶ ὅμοιον ποιεῖν καὶ ἐπαύξειν διατηροῦντας
τὴν ὁμοιότητα, ὥστε καὶ βωμοὺς καὶ ναούς· δυνησόμεθα δὲ καὶ τὰ τῶν
ὑγρῶν μέτρα καὶ ξηρῶν, λέγω δὲ οἷον μετρητὴν ἢ μέδιμνον, εἰς κύβον
καθίστασθαι καὶ διὰ τῆς τούτου πλευρᾶς ἀναμετρεῖν τὰ τούτων δεκτικὰ
ἀγγεῖα, πόσον χωρεῖ. χρήσιμον δὲ ἔσται τὸ ἐπινόημα καὶ τοῖς
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those, how much they contain. My invention will also be useful to those
who want to increase the catapults and stone-throwers; indeed it is
necessary to increase all these things in a proportional way, the
thicknesses, the sizes, the apertures, the washers, the slings inserted, if
the throw is also to be increased in proportion, all these things not being
possible without the finding of the means. I have written below for you
the proof and the construction of the instrument I talked about.
Let there be given two unequal straight lines, of which it is necessary to
find two mean proportionals according to a continuous proportion, AE
and ΔΘ. Let AE be placed on a certain straight line ΕΘ at right angles,
and let three parallelograms in sequence, ΑΖ, ΖΙ, ΙΘ, be erected on the
line ΕΘ and let the diagonals on those, ΑΖ, ΛΗ, ΙΘ, be drawn: those
will be parallel [fig. a]. While the middle parallelogram, ZI, remains
fixed, let ΑΖ be pushed above the middle one, while ΙΘ is below, as in
the second diagram [i.e., fig. b], until Α, Β, Γ, Δ are on a straight line,
and let a straight line be drawn through the points Α, Β, Γ, Δ and let it
fall on ΕΘ which has been extended at Κ. It follows that as AK is to KB,
so EK is to KZ, in the parallel lines AE, ZB, while [as AK is to KB], so
ZK is to KH, in the parallel lines AZ, BH. Therefore, as AK is to KB, so
EK is to KZ, so KZ to KH. Again, since it is that as BK is to KΓ, so ZK
is to KH, in the parallel lines BZ, ΓΗ, while [as BK is to KΓ], so HK is
to ΚΘ, in the parallel lines BH, ΓΘ. Therefore, as ΒΚ is to ΚΓ, so ΖΚ is
to ΚΗ and so ΗΚ is to ΚΘ. But as ZK is to KH, so EK is to KZ; and,
therefore, as EK is to KZ, so ZK is to KH and so HK is to KΘ. But as
EK is to KZ, so AE is to BZ, and as ZK is to KH, so BZ is to ΓΗ, and as
ΗΚ is to ΚΘ, ΓΗ is to ΔΘ; and, therefore, as ΑΕ is to ΒΖ, so ΒΖ is to
ΓΗ and so ΓΗ is to ΔΘ. Therefore, between ΑΕ, ΔΘ the two means ΒΖ
and ΓΗ have been found.
βουλομένοις ἐπαύξειν καταπαλτικὰ καὶ λιθοβόλα ὄργανα· δεῖ γὰρ
ἀνάλογον ἅπαντα αὐξηθῆναι καὶ τὰ πάχη καὶ τὰ μεγέθη καὶ τὰς
κατατρήσεις καὶ τὰς χοινικίδας καὶ τὰ ἐμβαλλόμενα νεῦρα, εἰ μέλλει καὶ
ἡ βολὴ ἀνάλογον ἐπαυξηθῆναι, ταῦτα δὲ οὐ δυνατὰ γενέσθαι ἄνευ τῆς
τῶν μέσων εὑρέσεως. τὴν δὲ ἀπόδειξιν καὶ τὴν κατασκευὴν τοῦ
λεχθέντος ὀργάνου ὑπογέγραφά σοι.
δεδόσθωσαν δύο ἄνισοι εὐθεῖαι, ὧν δεῖ δύο μέσας ἀνάλογον εὑρεῖν ἐν
συνεχεῖ ἀναλογίᾳ, αἱ ΑΕ, ΔΘ, καὶ κείσθω ἐπί τινος εὐθείας τῆς ΕΘ πρὸς
ὀρθὰς ἡ ΑΕ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ΕΘ τρία συνεστάτω παραλληλόγραμμα ἐφεξῆς
τὰ ΑΖ, ΖΙ, ΙΘ, καὶ ἤχθωσαν διάμετροι ἐν αὐτοῖς αἱ ΑΖ, ΛΗ, ΙΘ· ἔσονται
δὴ αὗται παράλληλοι. μένοντος δὴ τοῦ μέσου παραλληλογράμμου τοῦ
ΖΙ συνωσθήτω τὸ μὲν ΑΖ ἐπάνω τοῦ μέσου, τὸ δὲ ΙΘ ὑποκάτω,
καθάπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ δευτέρου σχήματος, ἕως οὗ γένηται τὰ Α, Β, Γ, Δ κατ’
εὐθεῖαν, καὶ διήχθω διὰ τῶν Α, Β, Γ, Δ σημείων εὐθεῖα καὶ συμπιπτέτω
τῇ ΕΘ ἐκβληθείσῃ κατὰ τὸ Κ· ἔσται δή, ὡς ἡ ΑΚ πρὸς ΚΒ, ἐν μὲν ταῖς
ΑΕ, ΖΒ παραλλήλοις ἡ ΕΚ πρὸς ΚΖ, ἐν δὲ ταῖς ΑΖ, ΒΗ παραλλήλοις ἡ
ΖΚ πρὸς ΚΗ. ὡς ἄρα ἡ ΑΚ πρὸς ΚΒ, ἡ ΕΚ πρὸς ΚΖ καὶ ἡ ΚΖ πρὸς ΚΗ.
πάλιν, ἐπεί ἐστιν, ὡς ἡ ΒΚ πρὸς ΚΓ, ἐν μὲν ταῖς ΒΖ, ΓΗ παραλλήλοις ἡ
ΖΚ πρὸς ΚΗ, ἐν δὲ ταῖς ΒΗ, ΓΘ παραλλήλοις ἡ ΗΚ πρὸς ΚΘ, ὡς ἄρα ἡ
ΒΚ πρὸς ΚΓ, ἡ ΖΚ πρὸς ΚΗ καὶ ἡ ΗΚ πρὸς ΚΘ. ἀλλ’ ὡς ἡ ΖΚ πρὸς
ΚΗ, ἡ ΕΚ πρὸς ΚΖ· καὶ ὡς ἄρα ἡ ΕΚ πρὸς ΚΖ, ἡ ΖΚ πρὸς ΚΗ καὶ ἡ
ΗΚ πρὸς ΚΘ. ἀλλ’ ὡς ἡ ΕΚ πρὸς ΚΖ, ἡ ΑΕ πρὸς ΒΖ, ὡς δὲ ἡ ΖΚ πρὸς
ΚΗ, ἡ ΒΖ πρὸς ΓΗ, ὡς δὲ ἡ ΗΚ πρὸς ΚΘ, ἡ ΓΗ πρὸς ΔΘ· καὶ ὡς ἄρα ἡ
ΑΕ πρὸς ΒΖ, ἡ ΒΖ πρὸς ΓΗ καὶ ἡ ΓΗ πρὸς ΔΘ. ηὕρηνται ἄρα τῶν ΑΕ,
ΔΘ δύο μέσαι ἥ τε ΒΖ καὶ ἡ ΓΗ.
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A Λ Ι

Fig. a

Ε Ζ Η Θ

Β Fig. b
Γ
Δ

d c b a

Ε Ζ Η Θ Κ

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These things have been demonstrated on geometrical surfaces; so that
we can also take the two means instrumentally, a small frame, either of
wood or of ivory or of bronze, is made fixed, and it has three small
equal plates as thin as possible, of which the middle one is fitted, while
the other two can be pushed forward in grooves, of sizes and proportions
as one thinks; indeed the steps of the demonstration are accomplished in
the same way. To take the lines in a more precise way it is necessary to
use art, so that, while bringing together the small plates, all the things
remain parallel and without a gap and joined each other in a uniform
way. In the votive offering the instrument is made of bronze and is fitted
soldered with lead under the very crown of the column, [while] below
that the proof is exposed in a more concise way and the diagram, after it
the epigram. Let those things also be written below for you, so that you
have them as they are in the votive offering. Of the two diagrams the
second one is drawn on the column.
To find two mean proportionals in continuous proportion of two given
straight lines. Let ΑΕ, ΔΘ be given. I bring together the small plates in
the instrument, until the points Α, Β, Γ, Δ are on a straight line. Let it be
thought as they are in the second diagram [i.e., fig. b]. That is, therefore,
as ΑΚ is to ΚΒ, so ΕΚ is to ΚΖ in the parallel lines ΑΕ, ΒΖ, while [as
ΑΚ is to ΚΒ] so ΖΚ is to ΚΗ in the parallel lines ΑΖ, ΒΗ; therefore, as
ΕΚ is to ΚΖ, so ΚΖ is to ΚΗ. As these are to each other, so ΑΕ is to ΒΖ
and ΒΖ is to ΓΗ. In the same way we will demonstrate that, as ΖΒ is to
ΓΗ, so also ΓΗ is to ΔΘ: therefore, AE, BZ, ΓΗ, ΔΘ are in proportion.
The two means of two given lines have been found.
ταῦτα οὖν ἐπὶ τῶν γεωμετρουμένων ἐπιφανειῶν ἀποδέδεικται· ἵνα δὲ
καὶ ὀργανικῶς δυνώμεθα τὰς δύο μέσας λαμβάνειν, διαπήγνυται
πλινθίον ξύλινον ἢ ἐλεφάντινον ἢ χαλκοῦν ἔχον τρεῖς πινακίσκους ἴσους
ὡς λεπτοτάτους, ὧν ὁ μὲν μέσος ἐνήρμοσται, οἱ δὲ δύο ἐπωστοί εἰσιν ἐν
χολέδραις, τοῖς δὲ μεγέθεσιν καὶ ταῖς συμμετρίαις ὡς ἕκαστοι ἑαυτοὺς
πείθουσιν· τὰ μὲν γὰρ τῆς ἀποδείξεως ὡσαύτως συντελεῖται· πρὸς δὲ τὸ
ἀκριβέστερον λαμβάνεσθαι τὰς γραμμὰς φιλοτεχνητέον, ἵνα ἐν τῷ
συνάγεσθαι τοὺς πινακίσκους παράλληλα διαμένῃ πάντα καὶ ἄσχαστα
καὶ ὁμαλῶς συναπτόμενα ἀλλήλοις. ἐν δὲ τῷ ἀναθήματι τὸ μὲν
ὀργανικὸν χαλκοῦν ἐστιν καὶ καθήρμοσται ὑπ’ αὐτὴν τὴν στεφάνην τῆς
στήλης προσμεμολυβδοχοημένον, ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ δὲ ἡ ἀπόδειξις
συντομώτερον φραζομένη καὶ τὸ σχῆμα, μετ’ αὐτὸ δὲ ἐπίγραμμα.
ὑπογεγράφθω οὖν σοι καὶ ταῦτα, ἵνα ἔχῃς καὶ ὡς ἐν τῷ ἀναθήματι. τῶν
δὲ δύο σχημάτων τὸ δεύτερον γέγραπται ἐν τῇ στήλῃ.
δύο τῶν δοθεισῶν εὐθειῶν δύο μέσας ἀνάλογον εὑρεῖν ἐν συνεχεῖ
ἀναλογίᾳ. δεδόσθωσαν αἱ ΑΕ, ΔΘ. συνάγω δὴ τοὺς ἐν τῷ ὀργάνῳ
πίνακας, ἕως ἂν κατ’ εὐθεῖαν γένηται τὰ Α, Β, Γ, Δ σημεῖα. νοείσθω δή,
ὡς ἔχει ἐπὶ τοῦ δευτέρου σχήματος. ἔστιν ἄρα, ὡς ἡ ΑΚ πρὸς ΚΒ, ἐν
μὲν ταῖς ΑΕ, ΒΖ παραλλήλοις ἡ ΕΚ πρὸς ΚΖ, ἐν δὲ ταῖς ΑΖ, ΒΗ ἡ ΖΚ
πρὸς ΚΗ· ὡς ἄρα ἡ ΕΚ πρὸς ΚΖ, ἡ ΚΖ πρὸς ΚΗ. ὡς δὲ αὗται πρὸς
ἀλλήλας, ἥ τε ΑΕ πρὸς ΒΖ καὶ ἡ ΒΖ πρὸς ΓΗ. ὡσαύτως δὲ δείξομεν, ὅτι
καί, ὡς ἡ ΖΒ πρὸς ΓΗ, ἡ ΓΗ πρὸς ΔΘ· ἀνάλογον ἄρα αἱ ΑΕ, ΒΖ, ΓΗ,
ΔΘ. ηὕρηνται ἄρα δύο τῶν δοθεισῶν δύο μέσαι.
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If the two given lines are not equal to ΑΕ, ΔΘ, after having made ΑΕ,
ΔΘ proportional to them, of these we will take the means and will return
to those, and we will have done what is desired. If it was desired to find
more means, we will place one by one continually more small plates in
the small frame, according to the number of means which have to be
found: the proof is the same.
10
“If you think to make a cube double from a small one, oh friend,
or if you think to transform well each solid nature into another,
have this, and if a fold
or a pit or the wide hollow of a concave tank
you will measure with this, then two approaching mean [lines] (5)
at the limit points within two rulers you will take.
Do not look for the constructions hard to contrive of Archytas’ cylinders
nor for producing the Menaechmian triads with the cutting of the cone,
nor if of the divine Eudoxus
a certain curved shape among the lines is drawn. (10)
Indeed, in these plates you can get ten thousand mean proportionals
easily, starting from a small base.
Fortunate, Ptolemy, that as a father, while enjoying youth with your son
all the things which are pleasant both to the Muses and to the kings,
you will give them as a gift; and in the future, oh celestial Zeus (15)
he will also receive the sceptre from your hand.
And all these things be brought to completion, and one, seeing this
votive offering, can say:
this is of Eratosthenes of Cyrene”.
ἐὰν δὲ αἱ δοθεῖσαι μὴ ἴσαι ὦσιν ταῖς ΑΕ, ΔΘ, ποιήσαντες αὐταῖς
ἀνάλογον τὰς ΑΕ, ΔΘ τούτων ληψόμεθα τὰς μέσας καὶ ἐπανοίσομεν ἐπ’
ἐκείνας, καὶ ἐσόμεθα πεποιηκότες τὸ ἐπιταχθέν. ἐὰν δὲ πλείους μέσας
ἐπιταχθῇ εὑρεῖν, ἀεὶ ἑνὶ πλείους πινακίσκους καταστησόμεθα ἐν τῷ
ὀργανίῳ τῶν ληφθησομένων μέσων· ἡ δὲ ἀπόδειξις ἡ αὐτή·
Εἰ κύβον ἐξ ὀλίγου διπλήσιον, ὦγαθέ, τεύχειν
φράζεαι ἢ στερεὴν πᾶσαν ἐς ἄλλο φύσιν
εὖ μεταμορφῶσαι, τόδε τοι πάρα, κἂν σύ γε μάνδρην
ἢ σιρὸν ἢ κοίλου φρείατος εὐρὺ κύτος
τῇδ’ ἀναμετρήσαιο, μέσας ὅτε τέρμασιν ἄκροις (5)
συνδρομάδας δισσῶν ἐντὸς ἕλῃς κανόνων.
μηδὲ σύ γ’ Ἀρχύτεω δυσμήχανα ἔργα κυλίνδρων
μηδὲ Μεναιχμείους κωνοτομεῖν τριάδας
διζήσῃ, μηδ’ εἴ τι θεουδέος Εὐδόξοιο
καμπύλον ἐγ γραμμαῖς εἶδος ἀναγράφεται. (10)
τοῖσδε γὰρ ἐν πινάκεσσι μεσόγραφα μυρία τεύχοις
ῥεῖά κεν ἐκ παύρου πυθμένος ἀρχόμενος.
εὐαίων, Πτολεμαῖε, πατὴρ ὅτι παιδὶ συνηβῶν
πάνθ’, ὅσα καὶ Μούσαις καὶ βασιλεῦσι φίλα,
αὐτὸς ἐδωρήσω· τὸ δ’ ἐς ὕστερον, οὐράνιε Ζεῦ, (15)
καὶ σκήπτρων ἐκ σῆς ἀντιάσειε χερός.
καὶ τὰ μὲν ὣς τελέοιτο, λέγοι δέ τις ἄνθεμα λεύσσων
τοῦ Κυρηναίου τοῦτ’ Ἐρατοσθένεος.
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T.2 Pappus2 Collection III 54.7-56.17 Hultsch

Τῶν ἐν γεωμετρίᾳ προβλημάτων οἱ παλαιοὶ τρία γένη φασὶν εἶναι, καὶ τὰ μὲν αὐτῶν ἐπίπεδα καλεῖσθαι, τὰ δὲ στερεά, τὰ δὲ γραμμικά. τὰ μὲν οὖν
δι’ εὐθείας καὶ κύκλου περιφερείας δυνάμενα λύεσθαι λέγοιτο ἂν εἰκότως ἐπίπεδα· καὶ γὰρ αἱ γραμμαὶ δι’ ὧν λύεται τὰ τοιαῦτα προβλήματα τὴν
γένεσιν ἔχουσιν ἐν ἐπιπέδῳ. ὅσα δὲ προβλήματα λύεται παραλαμβανομένης εἰς τὴν εὕρεσιν μιᾶς τῶν τοῦ κώνου τομῶν ἢ πλειόνων, ταῦτα στερεὰ
κέκληται· πρὸς γὰρ τὴν κατασκευὴν ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι χρήσασθαι στερεῶν σχημάτων ἐπιφανείαις, λέγω δὲ ταῖς κωνικαῖς. τρίτον δ’ ἔτι καταλείπεται
γένος ὃ καλεῖται γραμμικόν· γραμμαὶ γὰρ ἕτεραι παρὰ τὰς εἰρημένας εἰς τὴν κατασκευὴν λαμβάνονται ποικιλωτέραν καὶ βεβιασμένην ἔχουσαι τὴν
γένεσιν, ὁποῖαι τυγχάνουσιν αἱ ἕλικες καὶ τετραγωνίζουσαι καὶ κοχλοειδεῖς καὶ κισσοειδεῖς, πολλὰ καὶ παράδοξα περὶ αὑτὰς ἔχουσαι συμπτώματα.
τοιαύτης δὴ τῆς διαφορᾶς τῶν προβλημάτων οὔσης οἱ παλαιοὶ γεωμέτραι τὸ προειρημένον ἐπὶ τῶν δύο εὐθειῶν πρόβλημα τῇ φύσει στερεὸν
ὑπάρχον οὐχ οἷοί τ’ἦσαν κατασκευάζειν τῷ γεωμετρικῷ λόγῳ κατακολουθοῦντες, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ τὰς τοῦ κώνου τομὰς ῥᾴδιον ἐν ἐπιπέδῳ γράφειν ἦν
[ὡς δεῖ δύο δοθεισῶν εὐθειῶν ἀνίσων δύο μέσας ἀνάλογον λαβεῖν ἐν συνεχεῖ ἀναλογίᾳ], τοῖς δὲ ὀργάνοις μεταλαβόντες αὐτὸ θαυμασίως εἰς
χειρουργίαν καὶ κατασκευὴν ἐπιτήδειον ἤγαγον, ὡς ἔστιν ἰδεῖν [ἀπὸ τῶν φερομένων αὐτοῖς συνταγμάτων, λέγω δ’] ἐν τῷ Ἐρατοσθένους μεσολάβῳ
καὶ τοῖς Φίλωνος καὶ Ἥρωνος μηχανικοῖς [ἢ καταπαλτικοῖς]. οὗτοι γὰρ ὁμολογοῦντες στερεὸν εἶναι τὸ πρόβλημα τὴν κατασκευὴν αὐτοῦ μόνον
ὀργανικῶς πεποίηνται [συμφώνως Ἀπολλωνίῳ τῷ Περγαίῳ, ὃς καὶ τὴν ἀνάλυσιν αὐτοῦ πεποίηται διὰ τῶν τοῦ κώνου τομῶν, καὶ ἄλλοι διὰ τῶν
Ἀρισταίου τόπων στερεῶν, οὐδεὶς δὲ διὰ τῶν ἰδίως ἐπιπέδων καλουμένων], Νικομήδης δὲ λέλυκε διὰ κοχλοειδοῦς γραμμῆς, δι’ ἧς καὶ τὴν γωνίαν
ἐτριχοτόμησεν. ἐκθησόμεθα οὖν τέσσαρας αὐτοῦ κατασκευὰς μετά τινος ἐμῆς ἐπεξεργασίας, ὧν πρώτην μὲν τὴν Ἐρατοσθένειον, δευτέραν δὲ τὴν
τῶν περὶ Νικομήδη, τρίτην δὲ τὴν τῶν περὶ Ἥρωνα μάλιστα πρὸς τὰς χειρουργίας ἁρμόζουσαν τοῖς ἀρχιτεκτονεῖν βουλομένοις, καὶ τελευταίαν τὴν
ὑφ’ ἡμῶν ἀνευρημένην. [στερεοῦ γὰρ παντὸς ἕτερον στερεόν, ὅμοιον τῷ δοθέντι, κατασκευάζεται πρὸς τὸν δοθέντα λόγον, ἐὰν δύο τῶν δοθεισῶν
εὐθειῶν δύο μέσαι κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἀνάλογον ληφθῶσιν, ὡς Ἥρων ἐν μηχανικοῖς καὶ καταπαλτικοῖς.]

The ancients say that there are three kinds of problems in geometry, and some of these are called plane, another solid, another linear (or curvilinear).
For the first ones are said to be plane in a proper way since they can be solved by means of a straight line and the circumference of a circle: for the
lines by means of which such problems can be solved have their generation in the plane. Those problems which are solved when one or more
sections of the cone is taken, these are called solid: for their construction it is necessary to use the surfaces of solid figures, I say the conics. The
third kind is left, which is called linear (or curvilinear): for the other lines besides those already mentioned take a variegated construction and have a
generation under constraints, of this kind happen to be the helixes, and the quadratrices, and the cochloids, and the cissoids, in fact they possess
many and incredible characteristics.

2
Pappus of Alexandria lived in the fourth century CE and is author of a work entitled Mathematical Collection.
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History of Ancient Science
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Since there was this difference between the problems, the ancient geometers were not able to construct the problem of the two segments [i.e.,
mean proportionals] mentioned above, which is solid in nature, following a geometrical reasoning, since it is not easy to draw the sections of the
cone in a surface [since it is necessary to find two mean proportionals in continuous proportion of two given unequal segments]. Thus, using
instruments in an admirable way, they carried the problem to handcraft and to a useful construction, as it is possible to see [from the works written
by them, I mean] in the mesolabus of Eratosthenes and in the mechanical texts [and texts about catapults] of Philo and Hero. Agreeing upon the fact
that the problem was solid, they made the construction only in an instrumental way [in accordance with Apollonius of Perga, who also performed
the analysis of this problem by means of the sections of the cone, and others by means of the solid loci of Aristaeus, nobody through the loci
properly called plane], while Nicomedes solved it through the cochloid line, by means of which he also trisected the angle. Thanks to my
investigation we will expose four constructions of this problem, of which the first is by Eratosthenes, the second by Nicomedes, the third by Hero,
which is particularly suited to practical construction for those who want to construct, and the last which has been invented by me. [For of each solid
another solid can be constructed, similar to the one given, according to the given ratio, if two means between two given straight lines are found
according to a continuous proportion, as Hero in the mechanical texts and the texts about catapults says].

Problems Lines
plane
conic sections
linear (or curvilinear)