Ze´no, a celebrated philosopher, the founder of the sect of Stoics, was born at Citium in Cyprus. He opened a school in Athens, and soon became noticed by the great and learned. His life was devoted to sobriety and moderation. He died at the age of ninety-eight, B.C. 264.
Ze´no. A philosopher of Elea or Velia, in Italy. He was the disciple, or, according to some, the adopted son of Parmenides. Being tortured to cause him to reveal his confederates in a plot he had engaged in, he bit off his tongue that he might not betray his friends.
Zeno´bia. A celebrated princess of Palmyra, the wife of Odenatus. After her husband’s death, the Roman emperor Aurelian declared war against her. She took the field with seven hundred thousand men, and though at first successful, she was eventually conquered. Aurelian, when she became his prisoner, treated her with great humanity and consideration. She was admired for her literary talents as well as her military abilities.
Zeux´is. A celebrated painter born at Heraclea. He flourished 468 years before the Christian era. He painted some grapes so naturally that the birds came to peck them on the canvas; but he was disgusted with the picture, because the man painted as carrying the grapes was not natural enough to frighten the birds.
Zo´ilus. A sophist and grammarian of Amphipolis, B.C. 259. He became known by his severe criticisms on the works of Isocrates and Homer.
Zoroas´ter. A king of Bactria, supposed to have lived in the age of Ninus, king of Assyria, some time before the Trojan war. He rendered himself known by his deep researches in philosophy. He admitted no visible object of devotion except fire, which he considered the proper emblem of a Supreme Being. He was respected by his subjects and contemporaries for his abilities as a monarch, a lawgiver, and a philosopher, and though many of his doctrines may be deemed puerile, he had many disciples. The religion of the Parsees of the present day was founded by Zoroaster.
Zos´imus. A Greek historian who lived about the year 410 of the Christian era. He wrote a history of some of the Roman emperors, which is characterized by graceful diction, but he indulges in malevolent and vituperative attacks on the Christians in his History of Constantine.
A LIST
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OF WORDS USED IN
WRITING AND PRINTING.
[A], [B], [C], [D], [E], [F], [G], [H], [I], [J], [K], [L], [M], [N], [O], [P], [Q], [R], [S], [T], [U], [V], [W], [X], [Y].