The truth is that what had not been tried in a thousand years was not worth doing. But even beauty wearied them, if it was not new.

Theseus describes the pottery that he sees while visiting some of the Cretan nobles. He has realized that the nobles have become bored with life because life no longer challenges them. Their well-being is assured, and as a result, they spend all of their time searching for innovation. Cretans are the best potters in the world, but they are sick of their pottery. Theseus learns that the Cretan nobles are too removed from what really matters in life. They represent a warning to those who would accumulate wealth and property to the point where they think everything is assured. At that point, life no longer consists of the constant attempt to stave off death but rather must be defined by some other endeavor. Newness is what these nobles live for.