Zeno of Kition

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Bust of Zenon of Kition, Naples National Archaeological Museum , inventory number 6128

Zeno of Kition (Greek Ζήνων ὁ Κιτιεύς Zenon ho Kitieus; probably born 333 / 332 BC.. In Kition ; died 262 / .. 261 BC ), also Zenon the Younger called one was Hellenistic philosopher and founder of the Stoa .

Life and teaching

Zenon was the son of a wealthy merchant named Mnaseas. In what year he was born is not certain. Most researchers consider the data that his student Persaios calls in the script Ἠθικαῖς σχολαῖς Ēthikais scholais to be the most credible. Accordingly, his year of birth was 333/332 BC. Chr.

Although there are indications that he was of Semitic origin, Zeno was already familiar with the Greek language and philosophy from his parents' home; for example, his father brought Socratic writings back to Kition from his travels .

312/311 he came to Athens . As the first philosopher he heard there the Cynic Krates von Thebes . Afterwards the megarists Stilpon and Diodoros Kronos and finally the academic Polemon were his teachers.

After eleven years of study, Zenon 301/300 began to teach philosophy himself. In the absence of an alternative, he and his students met in the stoa poikilē ("painted pillared hall"), which gave the philosophical school of the Stoa its name. It is not known when the Stoa formed an organized school.

None of his works has survived, so his teaching can only be reconstructed from later traditions. Afterwards he taught that the aim of man must be to live virtuously and not to indulge in his desires (the Kathēkon teaching); the vicissitudes of life have to be met calmly with a sovereign, relaxed, philosophical, or even “stoic” attitude. The most important ideal of his philosophy is apatheia , which he called "the absence of affects". According to Zeno, it can best be achieved through indifference to pain and pleasure alike. By controlling the affects the stoic acquires not only apatheia but also wisdom . In his opinion, man is a being capable of reason , who is in principle able to live without domination (see anarchy ).

The most important source on Zeno is Diogenes Laertios , who has passed down a number of anecdotes about the Stoic. Thereafter, Zeno was gaunt and ascetic with a somewhat neglected appearance, which would bring him close to the Cynics. However, he was friends with personalities such as Chremonides and Antigonus II Gonatas . Zeno died in 262/261; he is said to have hanged himself or starved to death after sustaining a minor injury. A splendid funeral was arranged for him; his positive moral influence, especially on the youth, was valued.

Works

Diogenes Laertios' list of writings

Diogenes Laertios lists the following 19 titles:

Ethical writings

  • Πολιτεία
  • Περὶ τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν βίου
  • Περὶ ὁρμῆς ἢ Περὶ ἀνθρώπου φύσεως
  • Περὶ παθῶν
  • Περὶ τοῦ καθήκοντος
  • Περὶ νόμου
  • Περὶ τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς παιδείας

Physical writings

  • Περὶ ὄψεως
  • Περὶ τοῦ ὅλου
  • Περὶ σημείων
  • Πυθαγορικά

Logical fonts

  • Καθολικά
  • Περὶ λέξεων
  • Προβλημάτων Ὁμηρικῶν εʹ
  • Περὶ ποιητικῆς ἀκροάσεως

Without specifying a subject

  • Τέχνη
  • Λύσεις
  • Ἔλεγχοι βʹ
  • Ἄπομνημονεύματα Κράτητος ἠθικά

Other titles

The following 6 titles are also known:

  • Περὶ οὐσίας
  • Περὶ φύσεως
  • Περὶ λόγου
  • Εἰς Ἡσιόδου θεογονίαν
  • Διατριβαί
  • Χρεῖαι

reception

Zenon taught Persaios of Kition , Ariston of Chios , Herillos of Kalchedon, Dionysios Metathemenos , Kleanthes , Sphairos of Borysthenes, Philonides of Thebes, Callipos of Corinth, Poseidonios of Alexandria, Athenodoros of Soloi and Zenon of Sidon.

The lunar crater Zeno is named after the philosopher.

literature

  • Robert Bees: Zenon's Politeia. Brill, Leiden 2011, ISBN 978-90-04-19202-7 .
  • Maximilian Forschner : Stoa, Stoicism. In: Joachim Ritter (Hrsg.): Historical dictionary of philosophy. Volume 7, Basel / Stuttgart 1974, pp. 176-185.
  • Maximilian Forschner: The older stoa. In: Friedo Ricken (ed.): Philosophers of antiquity. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart / Berlin / Cologne 1996, pp. 24-39.
  • Matthias Gatzemeier : Zenon of Kition , in: Jürgen Mittelstraß (Hrsg.): Encyclopedia Philosophy and Philosophy of Science. 2nd Edition. Volume 8: Th - Z. Stuttgart, Metzler 2018, ISBN 978-3-476-02107-6 , p. 662 f. (Lexicon article with extensive bibliography).
  • Jean-Baptiste Gourinat, Jörn Lang: Zénon de Citium. In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques. Volume 7, CNRS Éditions, Paris 2018, ISBN 978-2-271-09024-9 , pp. 364–396
  • Peter Steinmetz : Zenon from Kition. In: Hellmut Flashar (ed.): Outline of the history of philosophy . The philosophy of antiquity , Vol. 4/2: The Hellenistic philosophy. Schwabe, Basel 1994, ISBN 3-7965-0930-4 , pp. 518-554

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Peter Steinmetz: Zenon from Kition. In: Hellmut Flashar (Ed.): The Hellenistic Philosophy (= The Philosophy of Antiquity. Volume 4). Schwabe, Basel 1994, ISBN 3-7965-0930-4 , p. 519.
  2. ↑ a b c d Peter Steinmetz: Zenon from Kition. In: Hellmut Flashar (Ed.): The Hellenistic Philosophy (= The Philosophy of Antiquity. Volume 4). Schwabe, Basel 1994, ISBN 3-7965-0930-4 , p. 518.
  3. ↑ a b Peter Steinmetz: Zenon from Kition. In: Hellmut Flashar (Ed.): The Hellenistic Philosophy (= The Philosophy of Antiquity. Volume 4). Schwabe, Basel 1994, ISBN 3-7965-0930-4 , p. 520.
  4. ↑ Peter Steinmetz: Zenon from Kition. In: Hellmut Flashar (Ed.): The Hellenistic Philosophy (= The Philosophy of Antiquity. Volume 4). Schwabe, Basel 1994, ISBN 3-7965-0930-4 , pp. 520-521.
  5. ↑ a b Peter Steinmetz: Zenon from Kition. In: Hellmut Flashar (Ed.): The Hellenistic Philosophy (= The Philosophy of Antiquity. Volume 4). Schwabe, Basel 1994, ISBN 3-7965-0930-4 , p. 521.
  6. ↑ Diogenes Laertios, On the Life and Teachings of the Philosophers 7: 10-12; 7.29.
  7. ↑ a b Peter Steinmetz: Zenon from Kition. In: Hellmut Flashar (Ed.): The Hellenistic Philosophy (= The Philosophy of Antiquity. Volume 4). Schwabe, Basel 1994, ISBN 3-7965-0930-4 , pp. 521-522.
personal data
SURNAME Zeno of Kition
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Zeno from Kition
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek philosopher, founder of the Stoa
DATE OF BIRTH uncertain: 333/332 BC Chr.
PLACE OF BIRTH Kition
DATE OF DEATH 262/261 BC Chr.