Guide of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace

Askanios was a known philosopher in Avdira and a student of Pironas who he accompanied to all his journeys, even to India. He came in touch with the gymnosophists and the magicians and his philosophy was influenced by them. According to Askanios, Pironas introduced the concept of agnosticism in his philosophical theory. He believed that nothing has a real entity and that humans perform according their subjective comprehension and habitus. Representing his time, he did not recognize the validity of senses and thought that people should be reserved and silent.

Diogenis from Laerti witnesses the relation of Anaxarchos from Avdira with Pironas in his work “Vii philosophon” [Philosophers’ lives]. It is interesting that he mentions an unknown philosopher, Askanios from Avdira, who, according to Diogenes, is the one who gives information about Pironas’ philosophy and life.