28 Ἰουλίου, ἔτος περὶ τὸ 300 π.Χ. · Σαν σήμερα
Dramatized
Τῇδε τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὅτε ὁ κύων μέγιστος ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς τοῦ Ὠρίωνος, καθίζω ἐν τῇ στοᾷ πρὸ τῆς βιβλιοθήκης. Οἱ μαθηταί μου στενάζουσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ καύματος, κἀγὼ λέγω αὐτοῖς: «Ἐὰν μὴ ὑπομείνητε τὴν ἀκρίβειαν, πῶς ὑπομενεῖτε τὴν ἀπόδειξιν;» Σήμερον ἐπαναλαμβάνω τὴν ὅλην τάξιν τῶν Στοιχείων — οὐ γράφω καινόν, ἀλλὰ ἐξετάζω τὸν ἁρμόν. Ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος κτίζει πόλιν, ἐγὼ δὲ κτίζω ἀσάλευτον. Ἡμεῖς οἱ γεωμέτραι οἴδαμεν: τὸ πρῶτον σφάλμα ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ πολλαπλασιάζεται εἰς τὸ τέλος ὡς ὁ λόγος τῶν ἀνίσων. Τρεῖς ἡμέραι ἔτι, καὶ ἀναθήσω τὸ βιβλίον τῷ διδασκάλῳ. Τὸ δέρμα μου λευκὸν ἀπὸ τῆς κόνεως. Τὸν κανόνα μου κεκρύφαλα ὑπὸ τῷ ἱματίῳ — μή τις κλέψῃ τὴν μέτρησιν.
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Τὸ ἔργον μου τὰ Στοιχεῖα οὐκ ἔστι μόνον βιβλίον, ἀλλὰ μέθοδος: ὁρίζειν πρῶτον, αἰτεῖσθαι εἶτα, συνάγειν τελευταῖον. Οὕτως ἡ γνῶσις γίνεται κτῆμα, οὐκ ὄναρ.
Why it matters
Ἐὰν μὴ μάθῃς τὴν τάξιν τῶν προτάσεων, πᾶσα ἡ πόλις σου οἰκοδομεῖται ἐπὶ ψάμμῳ — καὶ οὐ λέγω μόνον τὰς πύλας καὶ τοὺς λιμένας.
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Λάβε πρᾶγμα ὃ ποιεῖς καθ᾽ ἡμέραν. Ὅρισον αὐτό. Τί ἐστιν; Τί οὐκ ἔστιν; Εἶτα ἐρώτησον: ἐκ τίνος ἀκολουθεῖ τὸ ἑξῆς; Οὕτως ἄρξαι.
What is true / dramatized: Dramatized. Educational entertainment — not a primary historical source.
Ἡ σιωπὴ πρὸ τῆς τελειώσεως τῶν Στοιχείων — ἡ μέθοδος ὡς ἀνάστημα.
Difficulty: medium · ~3 min
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