Diocles of Corinth (Greek:Διοκλῆς ὁ Κορίνθιος) was anancient Greek athlete fromCorinth who won thestadion race of the 13thAncient Olympic Games in 728 BCE atOlympia.[1] The stadion race (about 180 meters) was the only competition in the first 13 Olympiads.
Diocles is said to have been the beloved ofPhilolaus of theBacchiadae family of Corinth who arose asNomothete (lawmaker) atThebes. Diocles quit Corinth because of his loathing for the incestuous passion of his mother Alcyone and went away to Thebes accompanied by his lover Philolaus. There they lived together for the rest of their lives and were buried in adjoining tombs, facing each other, with Diocles' back to his hated Corinth and Philolaus facing it.[2]
The English poetEdward Carpenter published the poem 'Philolaus to Diocles' in his 1883Towards Democracy, in which the lawgiver tells of his lifelong love for the athlete from his point of view.[3]
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