He was exiled from Athens for an unknown reason and took refuge in Megara, where he met and fell in love with a young man, but during a battle he was slain while protecting his beloved with his shield.
Moved by Diocles' sacrifice, the Megarians buried the gallant lover with heroic honors.
The Diocleia were held annually at the beginning of spring, when boys and young men would gather at Diocles' sacred tomb for gymnastic (naked games) and other contests, including a kissing contest: one man was chosen as the referee and he who gave him the sweetest kiss would be awarded a garland of flowers.
The referee would say a prayer to the divine hero Ganymede, beloved of the god king Zeus, asking that his lips be able to discern the best kiss.
[1][2] In Aristophanes' play Acharnians (425 BCE), the character identified as a Megarian swears "By Diocles!