to Homer as a teacher of moral wisdom over all other instructors, saying of the great poet, the "Trojani belli scriptorem," that he was a man
" Qui quid sit pulchrum, quid turpe, quid utile, quid non,
Planius ac melius Chrysippo et Crantore dicit."
3. Zeno the founder of the Stoical philosophy, is, of course, not to be confounded with Zeno the philosopher of the Eleatic school, of whom I have spoken above (see p. 102). It has been said that while a man's speculative opinions frequently depend on the age in which he lives, and on the modes of thought in the midst of which he has been brought up, his ethical views, on the other hand, generally depend more on his own natural temperament, or moral idiosyncrasy, or worldly fortunes. Hence a biographical account of Zeno the founder of the Stoics, a narrative of his life and fortunes, would probably throw much light on the moral doctrines that he inculcated. Little more, however, is known of him than this, that having been shipwrecked near Athens, and thereby reduced to poverty, he was so much disgusted by the loss of all his worldly substance that he attached himself to the philosophy of the Cynics. Zeno, however, we are told, was soon repelled by the grossness of manners, the intellectual narrowness, and incapacity of this sect, and established a school for himself. He is said to have lived, partly perhaps because he could not help it, upon a very spare diet, consisting of figs, bread, and honey, and the severity
