A scientific investigation of the burnt papyri from Herculaneum, which are housed in the Vittorio Emanuele III National Library in Naples, has revealed information about Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoicism, offering an unprecedented look into the philosopher’s life. Confirming the image of an ascetic focused on philosophical contemplation, his physical weakness, most likely the result of a frugal diet, and his inclination toward isolation, that led him to avoid banquets, are further evidence. Zeno created Stoicism, an ancient philosophical movement, in Athens in 300 BCE. It emphasizes the importance of adhering to the principles of virtue, reason, and nature in order to attain happiness by regulating one's emotions and distancing oneself from the uncontrollable. Graziano Ranocchia of the University of Pisa conducted the investigation, which was published in the journal 'Scientific Reports' by Springer Nature. For the first time, active thermography has been applied to papyrus, making words on several scrolls completely visible that would otherwise be inaccessible to the human eye. And we now possess information about Zeno that was unavailable to us until yesterday.