One law the Thirty passed prohibited “teaching the art of words.”[32] This initiative was presumably directed against the proliferation of political expertise among the Many. According to Xenophon, a rumor reached Critias and his colleague Charicles that Socrates had said, “It would be surprising to me if a cowherd who made his cattle fewer and worse were not forced to admit to being a poor herdsman. It would be even more surprising if the leader of a city who made its citizens fewer and worse should not have to acknowledge to his own shame that he was failure as a political leader.”[33] Critias and Charicles summoned him and warned him not to have such discussions with the youth.
Socrates asked for clarification. “So that I may not violate the law through ignorance, I need to learn clearly from you whether, when you order me to avoid the art of words, you mean the art of speaking truly or falsely. For if you mean the former, it’s clear that I must refrain from telling the truth; if the latter, I must try to tell the truth.”
“Seeing that you are ignorant,” said Charicles with irritation, “we’ll put it in simple terms: don’t talk to the young people at all.”
“Then just so that there is no ambiguity about what I’m supposed to do, tell me up to what age I am to consider men to be youths.”
“For as long as they are not permitted to deliberate in councils because they are not yet wise. Don’t speak to those under thirty years of age.”
“So if I am buying something, and the seller is under thirty, may I not even ask how much it costs?”
“Yes, you may ask that kind of thing. But you, Socrates, are always asking lots of questions you know the answers to. Those you may not ask.”
“May I not answer if a young man asks me a question I know the answer to, such as where Charicles lives or where Critias is?”
“Surely, you may answer those kinds of questions,” said Charicles.
“But,” added Critias, “you need to avoid discussion of shoemakers, builders, and smiths. For it seems me that you go on about these ad nauseam.”
“So the lessons that come from considering them, about justice, reverence, and so on, these I can’t discuss?”
“Exactly, by Zeus,” said Charicles, “and keep quiet about cowherds too. Or else beware lest you find that you are making your cattle fewer.”
[32].Xenophon Memorabilia 1.2.31. See Krentz 1982: 61. Though Xenophon sees this as directed against Socrates, it must have had a broader purpose.
[33].Xenophon Memorabilia 1.2.32.