# Zeno of Citium — The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers character guide > Zeno of Citium in The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laërtius. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Zeno, Democritus, Parmenides, Zeno the Eleatic **First appearance:** 0064-zeno ## Snapshot The shipwrecked merchant who founded Stoicism, teaching that virtue alone is good and the wise man is a citizen of the cosmos. ## Who they are Zeno arrives in Athens after a shipwreck and turns to philosophy, building the Stoic school whose doctrines Diogenes Laërtius treats as the most manly of the Socratic inheritances. He is a man of political weight in his own city and a teacher whose followers include Cleanthes and Chrysippus, the architects of the Stoa. His famous death — biting a tyrant and spitting out his tongue — crystallizes the Stoic conviction that the body can be crushed but the will cannot, a lesson the whole later tradition repeats. ## In the story ### [Thales](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/thales) Cited as a source for Thales' parentage and as confirming his astronomical work. ### [Anaximenes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/anaximenes) Some say Anaximenes was also a pupil of Parmenides. ### [Anaxagoras](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/anaxagoras) Anaxagoras was said to be hostile to him, failing to gain admission for conversation. ### [Stilpo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/stilpo) Mentioned as one of Stilpo's pupils, later the founder of the Stoic school. ### [Book VI: The Cynics and the Rise of Stoicism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/book-vi) Founder of the Stoic school; disciple of Crates; lived in the same manner as the Cynics; considered Cynicism a short road to virtue. ### [Antisthenes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/antisthenes) Mentioned as one whose patience was influenced by Antisthenes' foundations. ### [Crates](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/crates) Cited as the source of an anecdote about Crates sewing a sheep's fleece into his cloak. ### [Menedemus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/menedemus) Founder of the Stoic school, noted for living in the same manner as the Cynics and for the similarity between Cynic and Stoic doctrines. ### [Book VII: The Stoic Doctrine of Virtue and Indifferents](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/book-vii) Founder of Stoicism; cited for the doctrine that virtue is sufficient for happiness and for views on love and community of women. ### [Zeno](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/zeno) Founder of the Stoic school; taught in the Painted Colonnade; honored by the Athenians with keys to the walls, a golden crown, and a bronze statue; corresponded with King Antigonus; lived to age eighty. ### [Ariston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/ariston) Mentioned as the founder of Stoicism whose doctrine Ariston was attached to, and whose school Ariston left when Zeno was ill. ### [Herillus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/herillus) Zeno persuaded Herillus to shave his head to drive away his many followers. ### [Dionysius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/dionysius) Final teacher of Dionysius before he left the Stoic school. ### [Cleanthes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/cleanthes) Cleanthes' master and founder of the Stoic school; he trained Cleanthes and forbade him from accepting a gift from the Areopagus. ### [Sphaerus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/sphaerus) Sphaerus was a pupil of Zeno's school before studying under Cleanthes. ### [Chrysippus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/chrysippus) Founder of Stoicism; Chrysippus was initially a pupil of Zeno or Cleanthes, and later dissented from Zeno's views. ### [Book VIII: The Pythagorean and Promiscuous Philosophers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/book-viii) Mentioned as a teacher of Empedocles and Zeno, and as an influence on Empedocles' poetic style. ### [Book VIII: The Pythagorean and Promiscuous Philosophers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/book-viii) Noted as a pupil of Parmenides alongside Empedocles, and as the inventor of dialectics according to Aristotle. ### [Empedocles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/empedocles) Empedocles is described as an imitator and rival of Parmenides in his poems. ### [Empedocles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/empedocles) Zeno is credited with inventing dialectics, and was a fellow pupil of Parmenides alongside Empedocles. ### [Book IX: The Skeptics and the Eleatic School](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/book-ix) Pupil of Xenophanes and Anaximander; first to assert the earth is spherical; discovered Hesperus and Lucifer are the same star. ### [Book IX: The Skeptics and the Eleatic School](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/book-ix) Native of Velia; pupil of Parmenides; first to use the 'Achilles' argument; wrote treatises in various forms. ### [Book IX: The Skeptics and the Eleatic School](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/book-ix) Wrote the 'Great World' and 'Little World'; lived over 100 years; Plato allegedly wished to burn his writings. ### [Parmenides](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/parmenides) Main subject of the chapter; pupil of Xenophanes and Anaximander, follower of Aminias the Pythagorean; first to assert spherical earth and central universe; taught dual elements and the primacy of reason. ### [Melissus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/melissus) Teacher of Melissus. ### [Melissus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/melissus) Mentioned in analogy: Hippocrates recommended Democritus to the Abderites, as Melissus recommended Heraclitus to the Ephesians. ### [Zeno, the Eleatic](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/zeno-the-eleatic) Zeno of Elea is the subject of the chapter; he is described as a native of Velia, pupil of Parmenides, inventor of dialectics, and a noble figure in philosophy and politics. ### [Zeno, the Eleatic](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/zeno-the-eleatic) Zeno was a pupil of Parmenides and greatly attached to him; Plato mentions Zeno in his Parmenides. ### [Leucippus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/leucippus) Mentioned as Leucippus's teacher. ### [Democritus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/democritus) Subject of the chapter; atomist philosopher, pupil of Leucippus, known for his atomic theory and ethics of cheerfulness. ### [Protagoras](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/protagoras) Mentioned as Protagoras's teacher and the one who recognized his potential when he was a porter. ### [Anaxarchus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/anaxarchus) Mentioned as a possible teacher in the lineage of Anaxarchus (through Nessus and Metrodorus). ### [Pyrrho](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/pyrrho) Mentioned as a precursor to Skepticism; Pyrrho was especially fond of him. ### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/chapters/endnotes) Referenced in a note about the Stoic classification of predicates. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/characters/zeno - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_and_opinions_of_eminent_philosophers_se/characters