Timon of Phlius was a Greek philosopher and poet who lived from approximately 320 to 230 BCE during the Hellenistic period. He is best known as the principal follower and literary voice of Pyrrho of Elis, the founder of the Pyrrhonian school of Skepticism. Originally from Phlius in the Peloponnese, Timon studied under several philosophers before becoming Pyrrho’s disciple. He later settled in Athens, where he spent much of his life.

His most famous work is the Silloi (Lampoons), a satirical poem that mocked dogmatic philosophers from other schools. He also wrote the Indalmoi (Images), which offered a more straightforward presentation of Pyrrho’s ideas, and a prose dialogue called Pytho. While many other works are attributed to him, including plays and treatises, almost all are lost. What survives exists only in fragments quoted by later authors.

Timon’s historical importance is fundamental. Because Pyrrho himself wrote nothing, Timon’s writings provide the earliest and most direct evidence for early Pyrrhonian Skepticism. According to modern scholars, his work was crucial for transmitting Pyrrho’s thought to later generations, serving as a key source for the skeptical tradition that followed. His use of satire to challenge philosophical dogmatism also set a significant literary precedent.