Zeno of Citium 334 BC – 262 BC
Zeno of Citium was a Greek philosopher of Phoenician descent and the founder of Stoicism. After surviving a shipwreck on the voyage to Athens around 312 BC, he became a student of the Cynic Crates and went on to teach in the Stoa Poikile, from which the school takes its name. His ethics held that virtue is the only good and that human flourishing consists in living in agreement with nature, which he identified with reason. Although his writings are lost, his system was developed by Cleanthes and Chrysippus and became one of the dominant philosophies of the Hellenistic and Roman worlds.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Greek
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Stoicism, Hellenistic
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Zeno of Citium:
“Better to trip with the feet than with the tongue.”
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Attributed to Zeno of Citium:
“We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.”
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Attributed to Zeno of Citium:
“The goal of life is living in agreement with nature.”
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Attributed to Zeno of Citium:
“All things are parts of one single system, which is called nature.”
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Attributed to Zeno of Citium:
“Man conquers the world by conquering himself.”