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Timon of Phlius

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159: 42: 970: 1000: 704:'The things themselves are equally indifferent, and unstable, and indeterminate, and therefore neither our senses nor our opinions are either true or false. For this reason then we must not trust them, but be without opinions, and without bias, and without wavering, saying of every single thing that it no more is than is not, or both is and is not, or neither is nor is not. 629:, but perhaps the word is here merely used in the sense of satirical poems in general, without reference to the metre. According to Timon, philosophers are "excessively cunning murderers of many wise saws" (v. 96); the only two whom he spares are Xenophanes, "the modest censor of Homer's lies" (v. 29), and Pyrrho, against whom "no other mortal dare contend" (v. 126). 591:
philosophers, living and dead; an unbounded field for scepticism and satire. They were in hexameter verse, and, from the way in which they are mentioned by the ancient writers, as well as from the few fragments of them which have survived, it is evident that they were admirable productions of their kind. Commentaries were written on the Silloi by
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of Timon were in three books, in the first of which he spoke in his own person, and the other two are in the form of a dialogue between the author and Xenophanes, in which Timon proposed questions, to which Xenophanes replied at length. The subject was a sarcastic account of the tenets of all
582:, a word of somewhat uncertain etymology, but which undoubtedly describes metrical compositions, of a character at once ludicrous and sarcastic. The invention of this species of poetry is ascribed to 632:
No remains of his dramas have survived. Of his epic poems little is known, but it may be presumed that they were chiefly ludicrous or satirical poems in the epic form. It appears probable that his
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has not survived intact, but they are mentioned and quoted by several ancient authors. It has been suggested that Pyrrhonism ultimately originated with Timon rather than Pyrrho.
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He also wrote in prose, to the quantity, according to Diogenes Laërtius, of twenty thousand lines. These works were no doubt on philosophical subjects, and Diogenes mentions
458:) as well as a number of prose writings. These have been lost, but the fragments quoted in later authors allow a rough outline of his philosophy to be reconstructed. 340: 990: 1566: 562:
According to Diogenes Laërtius, Timon composed "lyric and epic poems, and tragedies and satiric dramas, and thirty comedies, and sixty tragedies and the
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verse have been preserved, as well as one or two fragments which cannot be with certainty assigned to any of his poems.
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The Hellenistic Philosophers: Volume 1, Translations of the Principal Sources with Philosophical Commentary
1512: 1436: 677: 391: 92: 506:, whose tenets he adopted. Driven again from Elis by straitened circumstances, he spent some time on the 1456: 1266: 876: 681: 592: 475: 471: 1482: 1451: 1271: 1005: 880: 547: 531: 467: 1616: 1390: 1380: 1289: 1207: 490:
in the theatre, but he abandoned this profession for the study of philosophy, and, having moved to
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Long, A. A. (14 September 2006). "4.Timon of Phlius: Pyrrhonist and satirist".
1502: 1431: 1416: 1400: 1345: 1314: 1230: 860:(trans.) (Harvard University Press, 1949/2000). p. 244 (Greek); 245 (English) 669: 583: 550:, whom he is said to have assisted in the composition of their tragedies; and 507: 217: 150: 114: 526:, where he lived until his death, with the exception of a short residence at 1355: 1319: 1309: 515: 511: 262: 222: 1294: 482:, whose works have now been lost. According to Diogenes, Timon was born in 237: 1304: 1009: 673: 212: 1033: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the 994:. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 989. 1175:
From Epicurus to Epictetus: Studies in Hellenistic and Roman Philosophy
641: 619:) in elegiac verse, appears to have been similar in its subject to the 519: 578:
The most celebrated of his poems were the satiric compositions called
554:, whom he is said to have taught. He died at an age of almost ninety. 1370: 1335: 697: 596: 551: 523: 503: 495: 491: 487: 483: 479: 445: 441: 420: 227: 173: 63: 636:
was also a satirical poem in epic verse. He also wrote parodies on
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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also claims he was linked to several literary figures such as:
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with such success that he made a fortune. He then moved to
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The primary source for Timon's biography is the account in
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The surviving fragments of Timon's work are published in
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Introduction: The Beginnings of Hellenistic Epistemology
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Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
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Hellenistic Philosophy: Stoics, Epicureans, Sceptics
365: 1511: 1470: 1409: 1328: 1282: 1237: 964:(Cambridge University Press, 1999) p. 229-259. 960:, in Algra, Barnes, Mansfeld and Schofield (eds.), 371: 362: 120: 108: 98: 88: 70: 51: 32: 738: 736: 734: 732: 730: 668:, in which he questioned the legitimacy of making 640:, and some lines from a scepticism-themed poem in 444:. Unlike Pyrrho, who wrote nothing, Timon wrote 962:The Cambridge History of Hellenistic Philosophy 1024:(Two volume ed.). Loeb Classical Library. 839:Diogenes Laërtius, ix. 115; Athenaeus, ix. 406 1215: 672:. The longest surviving quote, preserved by 334: 16:Greek Pyrrhonist philosopher (c.320–c.235 BC) 8: 498:, returned home to marry, and then moved to 1144:Long, A. A.; Sedley, D. N. (9 April 1987). 854:Sextus Empiricus IV: Against the Professors 432:BC – c. 235 BC) was an 1222: 1208: 1200: 623:. Diogenes Laërtius also mentions Timon's 530:. According to Diogenes he knew the kings 341: 327: 137: 40: 29: 827: 721: 1091:Timon of Phlius: Pyrrhonism into Poetry 1063:Pyrrho, His Antecedents, and His Legacy 714: 149: 46:Timon of Phlius, 17th-century engraving 19:For the inspiration for Shakespeare's 7: 1088:Clayman, Dee L. (15 December 2009). 742: 949:Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 776:Diogenes Laërtius, ix. 115; Suda, 1122:. University of California Press. 14: 1567:3rd-century BC Greek philosophers 1017:Lives of the Eminent Philosophers 898:"Praeparatio Evangelica Book XIV" 1028: 998: 968: 929:Poetarum philosophorum fragmenta 767:Brunschwig, (1999), pp. 249–251. 411: 358: 310: 157: 1541:List of skeptical organizations 1020:. Vol. 2:9. Translated by 664:. Also among his lost works is 1521:List of books about skepticism 1150:. Cambridge University Press. 1116:Long, A. A. (20 August 1986). 1: 1602:Ancient Greek epistemologists 1531:List of skeptical conferences 932:(in Latin and Ancient Greek). 634:Funeral Banquet of Arcesilaus 426: 74: 55: 1597:Ancient Skeptic philosophers 448:philosophical poetry called 421: 406: 1536:List of skeptical magazines 1526:List of scientific skeptics 1066:. Oxford University Press. 1633: 1546:List of skeptical podcasts 815:Diogenes Laërtius, ix. 110 494:, he spent some time with 454: 415: 395: 18: 806:Diogenes Laërtius, ix. 65 788:; Aulus Gellius, iii. 17. 693: 616: 502:with his wife, and heard 440:, who was the student of 132: 84: 39: 1447:Problem of the criterion 566:and amatory poems." The 25:Timon of Athens (person) 1587:Ancient Greek satirists 1042:, ed. (1870). "Timon". 991:Encyclopædia Britannica 926:Diels, Hermann (1901). 536:Ptolemy II Philadelphus 1577:3rd-century BC writers 1437:Five-minute hypothesis 1329:Skeptical philosophers 1283:Skeptical philosophies 1060:Bett, Richard (2003). 938:Bett, Richard (2002). 884:Praeparatio Evangelica 706: 678:Praeparatio evangelica 666:Against the Physicists 584:Xenophanes of Colophon 93:Hellenistic philosophy 1457:Simulation hypothesis 1094:. Walter de Gruyter. 1011:"Others: Timon"  850:Against the Geometers 702: 593:Apollonides of Nicaea 486:, and was at first a 476:Antigonus of Carystus 472:Apollonides of Nicaea 436:philosopher from the 317:Philosophy portal 1572:3rd-century BC poets 1483:Semantic externalism 1452:Problem of induction 1442:Münchhausen trilemma 881:Eusebius of Caesaria 797:Athenaeus, viii. 336 597:Sotion of Alexandria 289:Münchhausen trilemma 251:Similar philosophies 1582:Ancient Greek poets 1488:Process reliabilism 1410:Skeptical scenarios 1290:Academic Skepticism 1238:Types of skepticism 1178:. Clarendon Press. 270:Academic skepticism 189:Agrippa the Skeptic 1592:Ancient Phliasians 1022:Hicks, Robert Drew 1006:Laërtius, Diogenes 902:Tertullian Project 848:Sextus Empiricus, 607:The poem entitled 438:Hellenistic period 407:Tímōn ho Phliásios 103:Western philosophy 78: 235-230 BCE 59: 325-320 BCE 1554: 1553: 1493:Epistemic closure 1185:978-0-19-927911-1 1157:978-0-521-27556-9 1129:978-0-520-05808-8 1101:978-3-11-022081-0 1073:978-0-19-925661-7 940:"Timon of Phlius" 684:is from his work 544:Alexander Aetolus 468:Diogenes Laërtius 404: 351: 350: 136: 135: 1624: 1478:Here is one hand 1386:Sextus Empiricus 1366:Philo of Larissa 1224: 1217: 1210: 1201: 1196: 1194: 1192: 1168: 1166: 1164: 1140: 1138: 1136: 1112: 1110: 1108: 1084: 1082: 1080: 1049: 1032: 1031: 1025: 1013: 1002: 1001: 995: 974: 972: 971: 956:Brunschwig, J., 953: 944:Zalta, Edward N. 933: 913: 912: 910: 908: 893: 887: 874: 868: 846: 840: 837: 831: 825: 816: 813: 807: 804: 798: 795: 789: 774: 768: 765: 759: 752: 746: 740: 725: 719: 695: 618: 514:, and taught at 457: 456: 431: 428: 424: 418: 417: 413: 409: 399: 397: 396:Τίμων ὁ Φλιάσιος 386: 381: 380: 377: 376: 373: 370: 367: 364: 343: 336: 329: 315: 314: 313: 283:Modern influence 194:Sextus Empiricus 161: 138: 79: 76: 60: 57: 44: 30: 1632: 1631: 1627: 1626: 1625: 1623: 1622: 1621: 1557: 1556: 1555: 1550: 1507: 1466: 1405: 1324: 1278: 1233: 1228: 1190: 1188: 1186: 1171: 1162: 1160: 1158: 1143: 1134: 1132: 1130: 1115: 1106: 1104: 1102: 1087: 1078: 1076: 1074: 1059: 1056: 1054:Further reading 1038: 1029: 1004: 999: 986:Timon of Phlius 984:, ed. (1911). 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Bury 778:Sillainei 743:Bett 2002 532:Antigonus 516:Chalcedon 512:Propontis 446:satirical 401:romanized 263:Epilogism 223:Adiaphora 1305:Charvaka 1008:(1925). 852:, 2. in 680:quoting 674:Eusebius 617:Ἰνδαλμοι 558:Writings 510:and the 213:Ataraxia 206:Concepts 143:a series 141:Part of 1381:Agrippa 1351:Lacydes 1250:Radical 1037::  979::  946:(ed.). 642:elegiac 548:Homerus 520:sophist 422:Tímōnos 416:Τίμωνος 403::  1371:Cicero 1336:Pyrrho 1295:Ajñana 1182:  1154:  1126:  1098:  1070:  1003:  973:  864:  786:passim 756:Aratos 754:Suda, 686:Python 660:, and 626:iamboi 621:Silloi 609:Images 603:Poetry 588:Silloi 586:. The 580:Silloi 574:Silloi 568:Silloi 564:Silloi 552:Aratus 538:. The 528:Thebes 524:Athens 504:Pyrrho 496:Stilpo 492:Megara 488:dancer 484:Phlius 480:Sotion 478:, and 455:Σίλλοι 450:Silloi 442:Pyrrho 238:Epoché 228:Aporia 174:Pyrrho 110:School 99:Region 64:Phlius 23:, see 1513:Lists 1341:Timon 1262:Moral 1257:Local 942:. In 782:Timon 709:Notes 694:Πύθων 690:Greek 638:Homer 613:Greek 518:as a 233:Dogma 1193:2023 1180:ISBN 1165:2023 1152:ISBN 1137:2023 1124:ISBN 1109:2023 1096:ISBN 1081:2023 1068:ISBN 909:2023 879:ap. 862:ISBN 546:and 540:Suda 534:and 500:Elis 462:Life 412:gen. 387:-mən 71:Died 52:Born 988:". 700:.: 676:in 89:Era 1563:: 1014:. 900:. 856:. 820:^ 780:, 729:^ 692:: 656:, 615:: 599:. 474:, 427:c. 425:; 419:, 410:, 398:, 394:: 390:; 385:TY 375:ən 369:aɪ 145:on 75:c. 56:c. 1223:e 1216:t 1209:v 1195:. 1167:. 1139:. 1111:. 1083:. 1048:. 952:. 911:. 830:. 758:. 745:. 724:. 688:( 611:( 452:( 378:/ 372:m 366:t 363:ˈ 360:/ 356:( 342:e 335:t 328:v 27:.

Index

Timon of Athens (person)

Phlius
Hellenistic philosophy
Western philosophy
School
Skepticism
Epistemology
a series
Pyrrhonism

Pyrrho
Timon of Phlius
Aenesidemus
Agrippa the Skeptic
Sextus Empiricus
Ataraxia
Acatalepsy
Adiaphora
Aporia
Dogma
Epoché
Empiric school
Epilogism
Academic skepticism
Münchhausen trilemma
Benson Mates
Robert Fogelin
Philosophy portal
v

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