For centuries, Diogenes Laërtius' Lives and Opinions of the Eminent Philosophers has been the gateway to the great thinkers of antiquity. This Modern Reader's Edition presents his complete account of the Stoic school—the lives, teachings, and enduring legacy of Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus, and their successors—in clear, flowing contemporary English. From the founding of the Stoa in the painted colonnade of Athens to the systematic exposition of Stoic logic, physics, and ethics, this volume brings the ancient world's most resilient philosophy to life without the barrier of archaic language. Whether you are a student of philosophy, a seeker of practical wisdom, or a curious reader, you will find here the raw material of Stoicism as it was first recorded: vivid biographical sketches, provocative sayings, and the core arguments that have shaped minds for two millennia. Part of The Modern Wisdom Library.
