 pyrrho (;  pyrrÅn, c. 360 bc&nbsp;â c. 270 bc), a greek philosopher of classical antiquity, is credited as being the first skeptic philosopher and the inspiration for the school known as pyrrhonism, founded by aenesidemus in the 1st century bc. ==life== pyrrho was from elis, on the ionian sea. diogenes laertius, quoting from apollodorus of athens, says that pyrrho was at first a painter, and that pictures by him were exhibited in the gymnasium at elis. later he was diverted to philosophy by the works of democritus, and according to diogenes laertius became acquainted with the megarian dialectic through bryson, pupil of stilpo.diogenes' testimony is doubtful. see bett (2000) 1. pyrrho, along with anaxarchus, travelled with alexander the great on his exploration of the east, and studied under the gymnosophists in india and the magi in persia. this exposure to eastern philosophy seems to have inspired him to adopt a life of solitude; returning to elis, he lived in poor circumstances, but was highly honored by the elians and also by the athenians, who conferred upon him the rights of citizenship. pyrrho wrote nothing. his doctrines were recorded in the satiric writings of his pupil timon of phlius (the sillographer). unfortunately these works are mostly lost. today pyrrho's ideas are known mainly through the book outlines of pyrrhonism written by the greek physician sextus empiricus. ==philosophy== the main principle of pyrrho's thought is expressed by the word acatalepsia, which connotes the ability to withhold assent from doctrines regarding the truth of things in their own nature; against every statement its contradiction may be advanced with equal justification. secondly, it is necessary in view of this fact to preserve an attitude of intellectual suspense, or, as timon expressed it, no assertion can be known to be better than another. thirdly, pyrrho applied these results to life in general, concluding that, since nothing can be known, the only proper attitude is ataraxia, "freedom from worry". ("by suspending judgment, by confining oneself to phenomena or objects as they appear, and by asserting nothing definite as to how they really are, one can escape the perplexities of life and attain an imperturbable peace of mind.") 
270_BC_deaths 360_BC_births 3rd-century_BC_Greek_people 4th-century_BC_Greek_people 4th-century_BC_philosophers Ancient_Eleans Ancient_Greek_philosophers Ancient_Skeptic_philosophers Epistemologists Hellenistic-era_philosophers Indo-Greek_religions_and_philosophy Philosophers_and_tutors_of_Alexander_the_Great