 There were undoubtedly political motives in all these religious disputes.Diagoras was a Melian, and consequently belonged to the Dorian race; he was a friend of the Dorian Mantineia, which was hated by Athens, and had only recently given up its alliance with Athens; the Dorians and Ionians were opposed to each other in various points of their worship, and this spark of hostility was kindled into a growing hatred by the Peloponnesian war.Diagoras fled from Athens in time to escape the consequences of the attacks which his enemies had made upon him.