Timon's Life

I. Apollonides, of Nicæa, a philosopher of our school, in the first book of his Commentaries on the Silli, which he dedicated to Tiberius Cæsar, says that Timon was the son of Timarchus, and a Phliasian by birth. And then, when he was young, he studied dancing, and afterwards he renounced that study, and went to Megara to Stilpo. And having spent some time there, he returned home again and married. Then he came with his wife to Elis, to see Pyrrho, and there he remained while his children were born; the elder of whom, he called Xanthus, and taught him medicine, and left him his successor in his sect of philosophy. And he was a man of considerable eminence, as Sotion tells us in his eleventh book. Afterwards, being in difficulty as to his means, he departed to the Hellespont and the Propontis; and living at Chalcedon as a Sophist, he earned a very high reputation and great popularity; from thence he departed, after having made a considerable fortune, and went to Athens, and remained there till his death, going across once for a short time to Thebes. He was also acquainted with king Antigonus, and with Ptolemy Philadelphus, as he himself testifies in his Iambics.

I. Apollonides of Nicæa was a philosopher of our school. In the first book of his Commentaries on the Silli, dedicated to Tiberius Cæsar, he says that Timon was the son of Timarchus and was born in Phliasia. As a young man, Timon studied dancing, but later gave it up and went to Megara to study with Stilpo. After spending some time there, he returned home and married. He then went with his wife to Elis to see Pyrrho. He stayed there while his children were born. He named the elder child Xanthus, taught him medicine, and made him his successor in his school of philosophy. Xanthus was a highly distinguished man, as Sotion tells us in his eleventh book. Later, when Timon was struggling to support himself, he left for the Hellespont and the Propontis. He lived in Chalcedon and worked as a Sophist, gaining a very high reputation and great popularity. After making a considerable fortune, he left Chalcedon for Athens. He stayed there until his death, except for one short trip to Thebes. He also knew King Antigonus and Ptolemy Philadelphus, as he himself says in his Iambics.

II. He was, says Antigonus, fond of drinking, and he at times occupied himself with works quite inconsistent with philosophy; for he wrote lyric and epic poems, and tragedies and satiric dramas, and thirty comedies, and sixty tragedies and Silli, and amatory poems.

II. Antigonus says he liked drinking and sometimes produced works quite at odds with philosophy. He wrote lyric and epic poems, tragedies and satirical dramas, thirty comedies, sixty tragedies and Silli, and love poems.

There are works of his also enumerated in a regular catalogue, extending to twenty thousand verses, which are mentioned by Antigonus, of Carystos, who also wrote his life. Of the Silli, there are three volumes; in which he attacks every one as if he were a Sceptic, and especially he lampoons the dogmatic philosophers under the form of parodies. The first volume of these Silli contains a long uninterrupted narration; but the second and third are in the form of dialogues. He is represented in them, as interrogating Xenophanes, the Colophonian, about every thing, and he utters a long continued discourse; in his second book he speaks of the more ancient philosophers; and in his third of the more modern ones; on which account some people have given the last book the name of the epilogue.

His works are also listed in a formal catalogue and amount to twenty thousand verses. Antigonus of Carystos mentions them and also wrote his life. The Silli consists of three volumes. In them, he attacks everyone as if he were a Sceptic, and especially mocks the dogmatic philosophers through parody. The first volume of the Silli is one long, uninterrupted narrative, but the second and third take the form of dialogues. In these, he is portrayed questioning Xenophanes of Colophon about everything and speaking at length. In the second book, he discusses the more ancient philosophers, and in the third, the more modern ones. For this reason, some people have called the last book the epilogue.

But the first book contains the same subjects, with this difference, that in that it is all confined to one single person and its first line begins thus:—

But the first book covers the same subjects, except that it confines them all to a single person. Its first line begins:

III. He died when he was nearly ninety years old, as Antigonus tells us; and Sotion, in his eleventh book, makes the same statement. I have heard it said that he had only one eye, and, indeed, he used to call himself Cyclops.

III. Antigonus says he died when he was nearly ninety years old. Sotion says the same in his eleventh book. I have heard that he had only one eye, and he did call himself Cyclops.

IV. There was also another Timon, the misanthrope.

IV. There was also another Timon, who hated people.

V. Now this philosopher was very fond of a garden, and also of solitude, as we are told by Antigonus. Accordingly it is reported, that Hieronymus, the Peripatetic, said of him, as among the Scythians, both they who fly, and they who pursue shoot with the bow, so in the case of the philosophers, those who pursue and those who fly both hunt for pupils, as Timon for instance.

V. Antigonus tells us that this philosopher was very fond of his garden and of solitude. Accordingly, Hieronymus the Peripatetic is reported to have compared him to the Scythians. Among the Scythians, both those who flee and those who pursue shoot arrows. In the same way, among philosophers, both those who pursue and those who flee hunt for pupils. Timon, for instance, was one of them.

VI. He was a man of very acute perceptions, and very quick at seeing the ridiculous side of any question: he was also very fond of learning, and a very clever man at devising plots for poets, and at composing dramas. And he used to associate with himself, in the composition of his tragedies, two other poets, named Alexander and Homer; and whenever he was disturbed by his maid-servants or by the dogs, he paid no attention to them, studying above all things to live in tranquillity. They tell a story, that Aratus asked him how he could procure an entire and correct copy of Homer’s poetry, and he answered, “If he could fall in with an old manuscript which had never been corrected.” And all his works used to lie about at random, and at times half eaten by mice; so that once when he was reading them to Zopyrus, the orator, and unrolling a volume, he read whatever passages came first, and when he got to the middle of the book he found a great gap, which he had not previously perceived, so very indifferent was he about such matters.

VI. He was highly perceptive and quick to see the ridiculous side of any question. He loved learning and was very skilled at devising plots for poets and writing plays. He collaborated on his tragedies with two other poets, Alexander and Homer. When his maidservants or dogs disturbed him, he paid no attention, since he valued a peaceful life above all else. The story goes that Aratus asked him how to obtain a complete and accurate copy of Homer’s poetry. He answered, “If you can find an old manuscript that has never been corrected.” All his works lay scattered about, sometimes half eaten by mice. Once, while reading them to Zopyrus the orator, he unrolled a scroll and read whatever passages came first. When he reached the middle of the scroll, he found a large gap he had not noticed before. He was that unconcerned about such matters.

His constitution was so vigorous, that he could easily go without his dinner. And they say, that once when he saw Arcesilaus passing through the forum of the Cercopes, he said, “What are you doing here, where we freemen are?” And he used constantly to quote to those who invoked the testimony of their intellects to judge of the senses:—

His constitution was so strong that he could easily go without dinner. They say that once he saw Arcesilaus passing through the forum of the Cercopes. He said, “What are you doing here, where we free men are?” He also constantly quoted the following to those who relied on their intellects to judge the senses:

And this jesting manner was habitual with him. Accordingly he once said to a man, who was surprised at everything, “Why do you not wonder that we three men have only four eyes between us?” for he himself had only one eye, no more had Dioscorides, his pupil; but the man to whom he was speaking had his sight unimpaired. On another occasion, he was asked by Arcesilaus, why he had come from Thebes, and he said, “To laugh at you all when I see you face to face.” But though he attacked Arcesilaus in his Silli, he has praised him in the book entitled the Funeral Banquet of Arcesilaus.

He often joked like this. Once, he spoke to a man who was surprised by everything. “Why aren’t you surprised that the three of us have only four eyes between us?” he asked. He and his pupil Dioscorides each had only one eye, while the man he was speaking to had normal sight. On another occasion, Arcesilaus asked him why he had come from Thebes. He replied, “To laugh at you all when I see you face to face.” But though he attacked Arcesilaus in his Silli, he praised him in the book called the Funeral Banquet of Arcesilaus.

VII. He had no successor, as Menodotus tells us; but his school ceased, till Ptolemy the Cyrenean re-established it. According to the account given to us by Hippobotus and Sotion, he had as pupils, Dioscorides of Cyprus, and Nicolochus of Rhodes, and Euphranor of Seleucia, and Praylus of the Troas, who was a man of such constancy of mind that, as Phylarchus relates in his History, he allowed himself to be punished as a traitor wholly undeservedly, not uttering one word of complaint against his fellow citizens; and Euphranor had for his pupil, Eubulus, of Alexandria, who was the master of Ptolemy, who was the master of Sarpedon and Heraclides. And Heraclides was the master of Ænesidemus, of Cnossus, who wrote eight books of Pyrrhonean discourses; he was also the master of Zeuxippus Polites, who was the master of Zeuxis Goniopus, who was the master of Antiochus, of Laodicea, in Lycia. Antiochus again, was the master of Menodotus, of Nicomedia, a skilful physician, and of Theodas, of Laodicea; and Menodotus was the master of Herodotus, of Tarsus, the son of Arieus; Herodotus was the master of Sextus Empiricus, who left ten books of Sceptic Maxims, and other excellent works; and Sextus was the master of Saturninus Cythenas, who was also an empiric.

VII. Menodotus tells us that he had no successor. His school died out until Ptolemy the Cyrenean re-established it. According to Hippobotus and Sotion, his pupils included Dioscorides of Cyprus, Nicolochus of Rhodes, Euphranor of Seleucia, and Praylus of the Troas. Praylus was a man of such steadfast character that he accepted punishment as a traitor, though he was entirely innocent. As Phylarchus relates in his History, Praylus did not utter a word of complaint against his fellow citizens. Euphranor taught Eubulus of Alexandria, who taught Ptolemy. Ptolemy taught Sarpedon and Heraclides. Heraclides taught Ænesidemus of Cnossus, who wrote eight books of Pyrrhonean discourses. Heraclides also taught Zeuxippus Polites, who taught Zeuxis Goniopus. Zeuxis taught Antiochus of Laodicea in Lycia. Antiochus, in turn, taught Menodotus of Nicomedia, a skilled physician, and Theodas of Laodicea. Menodotus taught Herodotus of Tarsus, the son of Arieus. Herodotus taught Sextus Empiricus, who left ten books of Sceptic Maxims and other excellent works. Sextus taught Saturninus Cythenas, who was also an empiric.