Diogenes Laërtius · fl. 3rd century CE
Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.6 — Diogenes Laërtius on Zeno
Translation by R. D. Hicks (1925)
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.6
Reported speech · Diogenes Laërtius on Zeno
The people of Athens held Zeno in high honour, as is proved by their depositing with him the keys of the city walls, and their honouring him with a golden crown and a bronze statue. This last mark of respect was also shown to him by citizens of his native town, who deemed his statue an ornament to their city, and the men of Citium living in Sidon were also proud to claim him for their own. Antigonus (Gonatas) also favoured him, and whenever he came to Athens would hear him lecture and often invited him to come to his court. This offer he declined but dispatched thither one of his friends, Persaeus, the son of Demetrius and a native of Citium, who flourished in the 130th Olympiad (260-256 b.c.), at which time Zeno was already an old man. According to Apollonius of Tyre in his work upon Zeno, the letter of Antigonus was couched in the following terms:
Cite this passage
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.6 (on Zeno), tr. R. D. Hicks (1925)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/lives-of-the-stoics/7.6
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book VII, tr. R. D. Hicks (Loeb, 1925). Text: Perseus Digital Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesDescribes the honours Athens and Zeno's hometown gave him, and how a king who admired him often came to his lectures. Zeno declined the king's invitation to come to court but sent a friend in his place. Background leading into a letter.
Older wording
- “Olympiad”
- — a four-year period used for dating events in ancient Greece
Themes and situations
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Community and our duty to others
Quote cards
The opening line of this passage as an image, with its citation — for sharing or keeping.