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This article is about a Greek philosopher (not to be confused with Zeno of Elea). For other uses of the name, see Zeno.

Zeno of Citium (Greek: Ζήνων ὁ Κιτιεύς Zēnōn ho Kitieŭs; 333 BC - 264 BC) was a Hellenistic Stoic philosopher from Citium, Cyprus. He was the son of a merchant and a student of Crates of Thebes, the most famous Cynic living at that time in Greece. Zeno was also a merchant until the he was 42, when he started the Stoic school of philosophy. Named for his teaching platform, the stoa (Greek for "arcade"), his teachings were the beginning of Stoicism. None of Zeno's works have survived; however, his teachings have been passed on, including his main concept that "tranquility can best be reached through indifference to pleasure and pain".

Zeno was described as a haggard, tanned person, living a spare, ascetic life. This coincides with the influences of Cynic teaching, and was, at least in part, continued in his Stoic philosophy.

Diogenes Laërtius, biographer of the Greek philosophers, left the most extensive writings about Zeno's life with his work Lives of Eminent Philosophers. Although these writings miss deeper introspection into the philosophical ideas of Zeno, the anecdotical descriptions leave a colorful image of the historical figure Zeno. Some examples:

• He had very few youthful acquaintances of the male sex, and he did not cultivate them much, lest he should be thought to be a misogynist. He dwelt in the same house with Persaeus; and once, when Persaeus brought in a female flute-player to him, Zeno hastened to return her.

It is not clear whether this Persaeus, who was later sent as Zeno's proxy to King Antigonus II Gonatas of Macedonia, was Zeno's lover, servant or amanuensis.

• He was, it is said, of a very accommodating temper; so much so, that Antigonus, the king, often came to dine with him, and often carried him off to dinner at the house of Aristocles the harp-player; but when he was there, he would presently steal away.
• When he was asked why he, who was generally austere, indulged himself at a dinner party, he said, "Lupines too are bitter, but when they are soaked they become sweet."

Zeno preached that "man conquers the world by conquering himself". He lectured his students on the value of apatheia, which he explained to be "the absence of passion". Only by controlling one's emotion and physical desire, he argued, could we develop wisdom and the ability to apply thereof. By developing an indifference to pain and pleasure through meditation, the practicing Stoic will develop a wisdom stemming from suppressing the influence of passions, and ultimately, will attain wisdom. He is the inventor of the concept of Kathekon.

Zeno died around 264 BC. Laërtius reports about his death: "As he left the school, he tripped, fell and broke a toe. Hitting the ground with his hand, he cited words of Niobe: "I am coming, why do you call me thus?". Since the Stoic sage was expected to always do what was appropriate (kathekon) and Zeno was very old at the time, he felt it appropriate to die and consequently strangled himself.

During his lifetime, Zeno received appreciation for his philosophical and pedagogical teachings. Amongst other things, Zeno has been honoured with the golden crown, and a tomb was built in honour of his moral influence on the youth of his era.

The Zeno crater on the Moon is named in his honour.

• "Steel your sensibilities, so that life shall hurt you as little as possible."
• "Follow where reason leads."
• "Better to trip with the feet than with the tongue." (while drunk on wine)
• "We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say."
• "Why should the world wait for me if I am waiting for it?"

• The Hellenistic Philosophers, 2 vols., A. A. Long and D.N. Sedley (Cambridge, 1987).

• Zeno of Citium in Sensible Marks of Ideas