The Art of Trolling: A Philosophical History of Rhetoric | The Artifice

In the process of investigating the history of rhetoric, Socrates,
Plato, and Aristotle all appear to exhibit behavior that adheres to the Urban Dictionary definition of
trolling, quoted above, “the art of deliberately, cleverly, and
secretly pissing people off… using dialogue.” However, even if we do
decide that their behaviors towards the Sophists can be considered
trollish behavior, this does not mean that trolls did not exist prior to
the period that produced these Athenian Philosophers. Trolls of this
variety exist in myth- not as literal trolls, as these mythological
figures are often easily out-duped, but as Tricksters.