Zeno of Citium

Zeno of Citium (c. 333/332 BC in the kingdom of Kition in Cyprus, † 262/261 BC) was a Hellenistic philosopher, founder of Stoicism.

Zenon was the son of a wealthy merchant and a disciple of the Cynic Crates of Thebes. Zenon himself worked as a salesman until he founded his own school of philosophy at the age of 42 years, the Stoa. To 311 he came to Athens. According to Diogenes Laertius accident Zeno ship from Athens, what the charge ruined. Zenon then wandered around in Athens, until he came to a bookstore. He flipped through some books and was impressed by the teachings of Socrates. "Follow this man! " When he asked the owner of the library, where because such people are like to find Socrates, this pointed to Crates and answered.

The Stoa was named after the stoa poikile ( painted porch, referring to the Athenians pillars market hall opposite the Acropolis ), the building in which Zenon met with his students. His teaching was then called " stoicism ". Of his works, none have obtained from later traditions but can be reconstructed well his teaching. After that, he taught that it must be end of man, to live a virtuous life and not to give his desires ( the Kathekon - teaching); the vicissitudes of life had to be quiet encounter with a supremely serene, philosophical, just "stoical " attitude. The main ideal of his philosophy is the Apatheia, which he called " the absence of emotions ." It is best reached by Zenon by indifference to pain and pleasure alike. But by testing the affects of the Stoics not only acquires the Apatheia, but also wisdom. The man is in his view an able to reason being to whom it is in principle possible to live free of dominance (see: anarchy ).

The most important source is Diogenes Laertius to Zenon, who has handed down a series of anecdotes about the Stoics. After that Zenon was gaunt and ascetic with a somewhat sloppy appearance, which places him in the vicinity of the Cynics. However, he also had contact with high -ranking personalities, about Antigonus II Gonatas to king of Macedon. Diogenes Laertius According to Zenon said to have died by strangling himself after he was overthrown and had it broken a toe. It taught him from a magnificent funeral; be positive moral influence on young people in particular has been estimated.

The lunar crater Zeno is named after him.