Cleanthes was a Stoic philosopher of Assus in Lydia, and a disciple of Zeno of Citium. After the death of Zeno he presided over his school. He was originally a wrestler, and in this capacity he visited Athens, where he became acquainted with philosophy. Although he possessed no more than four drachma, he was determined to put himself under an eminent philosopher. His first master was Crates, the Academic. He afterward became Zeno's disciple and an advocate of his doctrines.

By night he drew water as a common laborer in the public gardens so that he would have leisure to attend lectures in the daytime. The Athenian citizens observed that, although he appeared strong and healthy, he had no visible means of subsistence; they then summoned him before the Areopagus,

The judges of the court were struck with such admiration of his conduct, that they ordered ten minae to be paid him out of the public treasury. Antigonus afterward presented him with three thousand minae. From the manner in which this philosopher supported himself, he was called "the well drawer." His natural faculties were slow. But resolution and perseverance enabled him to overcome all difficulties. He wrote much, but none of his writings remain except a hymn to Zeus. After his death, the Roman senate erected a statue in honor of him at Assus. It is said that he starved himself to death in his 99th year.

-By Muse Alexandros

Resource material:

GC Mohinke, Kleanthes der Stoiker (Greifswald, 1814)
AC Pearson, Fragments of Zeno and Cleanthes (Camb., 1891)
Article by E Wellmann in Ersch and Gruber's Allgemeine Encyklopädie