Athens, Timaeus wrote a history of the Greek West down to 289 BC, and another chronicling the wars of Pyrrhus continuing to 264 BC. Claims that he studied under Philiscus of Miletus, a pupil of Isocrates, remain uncertain and may stem from later attempts to link Timaeus stylistically with Isocrates.

He died shortly after 264 BC, likely around 260 BC. According to Pseudo-Lucian,