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Who founded the school of Stoicism in ancient Greece?
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Stoicism
Marcus Tullius Cicero, detail of a marble bust; in the Capitoline Museums, Rome.
The school of Stoicism was founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens around 312 BCE. Zeno lectured in the Stoa Poikile, or Painted Colonnade, which gave the philosophy its name.12
Stoicism emerged during a period of significant societal and political change in ancient Greece, following the decline of the city-state and the rise of larger political units. Zeno's philosophy aimed to provide a framework for understanding and navigating this changing world. His teachings encompassed logic, physics, and ethics, with ethics being central to his system. Zeno taught that happiness is achieved by aligning one's will with the divine reason that governs the universe.341