286 l//-22
the gymnasium of Elis there are preserved some fair paintings of his of
torch-bearers. 63. He isolated himself and lived like a hermit, rarely
showing himself to those in his household. He did this after he heard
some Indian reproach Anaxarchus that he would never be able to teach
someone else what is good so long as he served the royal courts. He
always maintained the same mental condition, so that even if someone
walked out on him in the middle of whatever he was saying, he just
finished speaking to himself, even though in his youth he had been
excitable and ... [there is a lacuna in the text]. They say that many
times he would leave town without telling anyone beforehand, and ramble
around with whomever he might meet. And once, when Anaxarchus fell
into a ditch, he passed by him and did not give him any help. Some
blamed him for this, but Anaxarchus himself praised his indifference
and lack of sentimentality.
- Once he was caught talking to himself and, when asked why, he
replied that he was practising to be a nice fellow. In investigative matters
he was scorned by no one, because he could both discourse at length
and respond to questions, so that even Nausiphanes when he was a youth
was immediately captivated by him; at least Nausiphanes used to say
that while one should acquire the disposition ofPyrrho, one should follow
his own theories. He often said that Epicurus marvelled at Pyrrho's
behavior and continually asked him about Pyrrho. He was so honoured
by his state that they made him the chief priest and for his sake decreed
that all philosophers should pay no taxes .... - Diodes says that the Athenians honoured him with citizenship for
having killed the Thracian Cotys. According to Eratosthenes, in his work
Wealth and Poverty, he lived piously with his sister, a midwife. Sometimes,
he himself actually used to bring poultry or maybe pigs to market to be
sold, and he did the household cleaning without complaint. He is said
to have washed a piglet himself because he was indifferent to what he
did. Once he became angry with someone in a matter regarding his sister,
whose name was Philista, and in reply to someone who blamed him for
this said that the manifestation of indifference was not suitable on behalf
of a mere woman. Once when a dog attacked him [Pyrrho] and he
panicked, he replied to someone who blamed him for this that it was
hard to shed completely one's humanity, but that one should struggle
against circumstances, as much as possible in one's actions, but if not
then at least in one's words. - They say that when septic medicines and surgical and caustic
procedures were applied to some wound of his, he did not even frown.
Timon further clarifies his disposition in his reply to Pytho. Philo of
Athens, who was an intimate of his, said that he most often mentioned