Athenodorus Cordylion was a Stoic philosopher from the city of Tarsus in the 1st century BCE. He is distinguished from another philosopher with the same name by his nickname, which means "little club." Athenodorus served as the head of the Stoic school in Athens, likely in the early part of the century. In this role, he is known for a significant editorial act: he removed passages from the writings of the Stoic founder Zeno of Citium that he believed were unsound or not authentic. This shows he was actively shaping the school's foundational texts. Later in life, he was invited by the Roman statesman Cato the Younger to move to Rome, where he lived with Cato until his death.
No complete writings by Athenodorus Cordylion survive today. His philosophical activity is known only through reports of his life and his editorial work.
According to modern scholars, his significance lies in his role as a curator of Stoic doctrine and as a link between Greek philosophy and Roman practice. His critical editing of Zeno's works demonstrates how Stoic ideas were refined within the school itself. Furthermore, his close association with Cato the Younger, a Roman famous for his Stoic principles, connects him to the transmission of Stoic philosophy into the political life of the late Roman Republic. Through this relationship, he indirectly contributed to the Roman adoption of Stoic ideals.
Available Works
Sources
- Stanford Encyclopedia Entry (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Accessed: 2026-01-26
- Perseus Entry (Perseus Digital Library) Accessed: 2026-01-26