Zeno of Citium

Founder of Stoicism, a major Hellenistic school emphasizing virtue and living according to nature.

Chronology: -334 – -263

Origins & Early Life

Zeno of Citium (; Koine Greek: Ζήνων ὁ Κιτιεύς, Zēnōn ho Kitieus; c. 334 – c. 262 BC) was a Hellenistic philosopher from Citium (Κίτιον, Kition), Cyprus. He was the founder of the Stoic school of philosophy, which he taught in Athens from about 300 BC.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Based on the moral ideas of the Cynics, Stoicism laid great emphasis on goodness and peace of mind gained from living a life of virtue in accordance with nature. It proved very popular, and flourished as one of the major schools of philosophy from the Hellenistic period through to the Roman era, and enjoyed revivals in the Renaissance as Neostoicism and in the current era as Modern Stoicism. == Life == Zeno was born c. 334 BC, in the city of Citium in Cyprus. His ancestry has been described as Phoenician or as Greek, because Citium contained both Phoenician and Greek inhabitants.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Such interpretation reflects early post-Victorian scholarship, which often equated culture with ancestry and failed to recognise the distinct, syncretic identity of ancient Cyprus — a society that integrated Greek and Near Eastern influences within its own local traditions. While a number of contemporary and modern historians regard Zeno as a Phoenician, other...

Source: Wikipedia