ZENO

ZENO (Zēnos), the founder of the sect of the Stoics, was born about 350 B.C., at Citium, in the island of Cyprus. Clinton assigns his birth to between 357 B.C. and 352 B.C., and his death to between 263 B.C. and 259 B.C., the year given to it by Diogenes Laertius. This place having been originally peopled by a colony of Phoenicians, Zeno is sometimes called a Phoenician. His father was by profession a merchant, but discovering in the youth a strong propensity towards learning, he early devoted him to philosophy. In his mercantile capacity he had frequent occasion to visit Athens, where he purchased for his son several of the writings of the most eminent Socratic philosophers. These he read with great avidity; and when he was about thirty years of age, or twenty-two according to his disciple Persaeus, he determined to take a voyage to a city which was so celebrated both as a mart of trade and of science. Upon his first arrival in Athens, going accidentally into the shop of a bookseller, he took up a volume of the commentaries of Xenophon, and after reading a few passages, was so much delighted with the work, and formed so high an idea of the author, that he asked the bookseller where he might meet with such men. Crates, the Cynic philosopher, happening at that instant to be passing, the bookseller pointed to him and said, "Follow that man." Zeno attended upon the instructions of Crates, and was so well pleased with his doctrine, that he became one of his disciples. But though he admired the general principles of the Cynic school, he could not easily reconcile himself to their peculiar manners. Besides, his inquisitive turn of mind would not allow him to adopt that indifference to every scientific inquiry which was one of the characteristic distinctions of the sect. He therefore attended upon other masters, who professed to instruct their disciples in the nature and causes of things. When Crates, displeased at his following other philosophers, attempted to drag him by force out of the school of Stilpo, Zeno said to him, "You may seize my body, but Stilpo has laid hold of my mind." After continuing to attend upon the lectures of Stilpo several years, he resorted to other schools, particularly to those of Xenocrates and Diodorus Cronus. By the latter he was instructed in dialectics. He was so much delighted with this branch of study, that he presented to his master a large pecuniary gratuity, in return for the free communication of some of his ingenious subtleties. At last, after attending almost every other master, he offered himself as a disciple of Polemo. This philosopher appears to have been aware that Zeno's intention, in thus removing from one school to another, was to collect materials from various quarters for a new system of his own; for, when he came into Polemo's school, he said to him, "I am no stranger, Zeno, to your Phoenician arts; I perceive that your design

is to creep slyly into my garden and steal away my fruit." Polemo was not mistaken in his opinion. Having made himself master of the tenets of others, Zeno determined to become the founder of a new sect. The place which he made choice of for his school was a public portico, adorned with the pictures of Polygnotus and other eminent painters. It was the most famous portico in Athens, and called, by way of eminence, Στοά, "the Porch." It was from this circumstance that the followers of Zeno were called Stoics.

In his person Zeno was tall and slender; his aspect was severe, and his brow contracted. He had not a very original mind, and he was even more eclectic in his philosophy than critical. His constitution was feeble, but he preserved his health by great abstemiousness. The supplies of his table consisted of figs, bread, and honey; notwithstanding which he was frequently honoured with the company of great men. In public company, to avoid every appearance of an assuming temper, he commonly took the lowest place. Indeed, so great was his modesty, that he seldom chose to mingle with a crowd, or wished for the company of more than two or three friends at once. He paid more attention to neatness and decorum in external appearance than the Cynic philosophers. In his dress, indeed, he was plain, and in all his expenses frugal; but this is not to be imputed to avarice, but a contempt of external magnificence. Zeno lived to the extreme age of ninety-eight; and at last, in consequence of an accident, voluntarily put an end to his life. As he was walking out of his school he fell down, and in the fall broke one of his fingers; upon which he was so affected with a consciousness of infirmity, that, striking the earth, he said, "Why am I thus importuned? I obey thy summons;" and immediately went home and strangled himself. The Athenians, at the request of Antigonus, erected a monument to his memory in the Ceramicum. For a full view of the Stoical system of which Zeno was the founder, see the SECOND PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION prefixed to the present work.