Timon of Phlius

Here is a revised, respectful memorial biography of Timon of Phlius, using only verifiable, well-supported details from reliable sources:

Timon of Phlius (c. 320 BC – c. 235–230 BC) was a Hellenistic philosopher and satirical poet hailing from the city of Phlius in the Peloponnese. According to Diogenes Laërtius, he began life as a stage-dancer before pursuing philosophy, first studying under Stilpo of Megara and then adopting the teachings of Pyrrho of Elis.(plato.stanford.edu)

He lived for a time in Chalcedon, earning his wealth as a sophist and lecturer, before moving to Athens—aside from a brief stay in Thebes—where he remained until his death. He was known to have had contact with rulers such as Antigonus and Ptolemy II Philadelphus.(perseus.tufts.edu)

Timon's writing output was prodigious, spanning both poetry and prose. His most celebrated work was the Silloi, satirical poems in hexameter comprising three books. In the first, he speaks in his own voice; in the second and third, he engages in imagined dialogues with Xenophanes, lampooning the doctrines of many philosophers while granting rhetorical deference to Xenophanes and Pyrrho.(plato.stanford.edu) Other compositions include a poem titled Images (or Indalmoi) in elegiac couplets and numerous lost tragedies, comedies, epics, and parodic verse, none of which survive except in fragments and references.(plato.stanford.edu)

In prose, Timon produced substantial writings—said to total some twenty thousand lines—among them works such as On Sensations, On Inquiries, Towards Wisdom, and Against the Physicists. He also wrote Python, a philosophical dialogue recounting a meeting with Pyrrho, preserved in part through later authors; through this and his poetic fragments, Timon serves as our chief source for understanding Pyrrho’s philosophy.(en.wikipedia.org)

Though his works survive only in scattered remnants, Timon remains a key figure in the early development of Pyrrhonist skepticism, using wit and literary skill to question philosophical certainties and encourage a suspension of belief.(plato.stanford.edu)

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This version retains only those details firmly supported by classical sources, avoids speculative elements, and presents a clear, concise account of Timon’s life and work.