• Native to Leontini, Sicily, but came to mainland Greece (perhaps with Tisias) c. 427 BCE to tour and give speeches (which were very well received). He may also have been seeking Athenian political and military support for domestic problems in Syracuse.
• Supposedly would ask the audience to name the topic he should speak about, somewhat like contemporary improv
• Was nicknamed "The Nihilist," not for any connection to a doctrine of nihilism, but because of his assertion that we can't be certain anything exists, and even if it did, we can't know about it, and even if we could, we couldn't communicate knowledge about it to others, and even if we could, we couldn't guarantee that it would be understood.

Encomium of Helen