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Everything about Cleanthes

3rd-century BC Greek philosopher

Cleanthes, of Assos, was a Greek Stoic philosopher and boxer who was the successor to Zeno of Citium as the second head (scholarch) of the Stoic school in Athens. Originally a boxer, he came to Athens where he took up philosophy, listening to Zeno's lectures. He supported himself by working as a water-carrier at night. After the death of Zeno, c. 262 BC, he became the head of the school, a post he held for the next 32 years. Cleanthes successfully preserved and developed Zeno's doctrines. He originated new ideas in Stoic physics, and developed Stoicism in accordance with the principles of materialism and pantheism. Among the fragments of Cleanthes' writings which have come down to us, the largest is a Hymn to Zeus. His pupil was Chrysippus who became one of the most important Stoic thinkers. Wikipedia →

🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: CleanthesA 5-minute orientation
  2. Skim a recent paper: Cleanthes’ Two Illustrative Analogies in Part 3 of Hume’s DialoguesInfluential work since 2022
  3. Pick up a classic book: Modern rhetoricThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  4. Read the landmark paper: 'Eκπυ´ρωσιζ and the goodness of god in CleanthesCited 14 times
  5. Go sideways: ChrysippusA closely related topic
  6. Go sideways: Zeno of CitiumA closely related topic

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🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)

🆕 Influential since 2022

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