Dicaeogenes (Δικαίογνης)

Life Dicaeogenes was an Athenian tragic poet of the 4th century BCE, a contemporary of Demosthenes [1]. The Suda records that he competed in dramatic festivals and wrote both tragedies and comedies, though he is remembered as a tragedian distinct from a comic poet of the same name [1]. No further biographical details survive.

Works He is credited with several tragedies, of which only fragments and titles remain. Known works include Cyprians (Κύπριοι), Medea (Μήδεια), Oedipus (Οἰδίπους), and Thyestes (Θυέστης) [1]. The Suda attributes eight plays to him, but all are lost except for fragments [1].

Significance Dicaeogenes represents the post-classical generation of tragedians following Sophocles and Euripides, illustrating the continued vitality of tragic competition in 4th-century Athens. His engagement with canonical mythological subjects places him within the traditional tragic repertoire. His fragmentary record contributes to our understanding of Athenian drama in this less-documented period.

Sources 1. Perseus Digital Library, Suda Encyclopedia, entry delta, 522: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0054%3Aentry%3Ddelta%2F522