Stoicism got its name from its founder Zeno who taught at the Stoa Poikile (Painted Porch) in Athens, a large outdoor gathering place. Among the tenets of this philosophical system were the exaltation of virtue above all else, as well as the denunciation of war and slavery, unusual positions to take in antiquity. The compassionate nature of this philosophical system clearly left its mark on Paul who had studied it before his conversion to Christianity.