Zeno of Citium

334–262 BC

The founder of Stoicism, Zeno established the school at the Stoa Poikile (Painted Porch) in Athens around 300 BC. After losing his fortune in a shipwreck, he turned to philosophy and created a system emphasizing virtue, wisdom, and living according to nature. His teachings laid the foundation for what would become one of the most influential philosophical schools in history.