Zeno of Citium
The originator of Stoic Philosophy
When we think about Stoicism in general we often refer to the late-era Stoics, such as Seneca the Younger, Musonius Rufus, Epictetus, & Marcus Aurelius. Whilst this is completely reasonable giving that we rely heavily on their remaining writings as fragments of the Philosophical school. However not seeking to overshadow those who came prior to this, I wanted to pay homage to the founder of the school who inspired those writings that we are accustomed to enjoying.
As someone who has a penchant for Ancient History and Stoicism, It truly is a joy to sift through writings, documentation, imagery, and physical reminders of those who came before us. With regards to the early Stoic philosophers (See diagram below) you can see there is a rich and in-depth history of figures leading up to the Roman Stoic narrative we’ve become so accustomed to in the 21st century.
Zeno of Citium c. 334–262 BCE
Zeno was born in the Phoenician (not so coincidentally he would be referred to by many as “The Phoenician”)/Greek city of Citium, on the island of Cyprus, around the same period that Alexander the Great ascended the throne in Macedonia. We are told that he was tall and lean, with a dark complexion, leading to being described as an “Egyptian vine”. In his young adult life he followed…
