ZENO, in biography, a Greek philoso pher of considerable eminence, was born VOL. VI. .
in the isle of Cyprus. He was founder of the Stoics, a sect which had its name from that of a portico at Athens, where' Zeno was accustomed to deliver his dis courses. The father of our philosopher was a merchant, but readily seconded his son's inclinations, and devoted him to the pursuits of literature. In the way of bu siness he had frequent occasion to visit Athens, where he purchased for his son several of the most renowned works of the celebrated Socratic philosophers. These Zeno read with avidity, and deter mined to visit the city where so much wisdom was found. Upon his first arri= val in Athens, going accidentally into the shop of a bookseller, he took up the commentaries of Xenophon, with the pe rusal of which he was so much delighted, that he asked the bookseller where he might meet with such men. Crates, the cynic philosopher, was at that moment passing by ; the bookseller pointed to him, and said, follow that man. He im mediately became his disciple, but was soon dissatisfied with his doctrine, and joined himself to other philosophers, whose instructions were more accordant to his way of thinking. Zeno staid long with no master ; he studied under all the most celebrated teachers, with a view of collecting materials from various quar ters for a new system of his own. To this Polemo alluded when he saw Zeno coming into his school ; " I am no stran ger," said he, " to your Phenician arts, I perceive that your design is to creep slily into my garden, and steal away the fruit" From this period Zeno avowed his intention of becoming the founder of a new sect. The place which he chose
for his school was the painted porch, the most famous in Athens. Zeno excelled in that kind of subtle reasoning which was in his time very popular. Hence, his followers were very numerous, and from the highest ranks iu society. Among these was Antigouus Gonates, king of Macedon, who earnestly solicited him to go to his court He possessed so large a share of esteem among the Athenians, that, on account of his integrity, they deposited the keys of their citadel in his hands they also honoured him with a golden crown and a statue of brass. He lived to the age of 98, and at last, in con sequence of an accident, voluntarily put an end to his life. As he was walking in his school, he fell down and broke his finger, by which, it is said, he was so much affected, that, striking the earth, he exclaimed, "Why am I thus impor 4 H timed ? I obey thy summons," and imme diately went and strangled himself. In morals, the principal difference between the cynics and the stoics was, that the former disdained the cultivation of . na ture, the latter affected to rise above it. In physics, Zeno received his doctrine from Pythagoras and Heraclitus, through the channel of the Platonic school. See ACADEMIES, CYNICS, &C.