Neophron of Sicyon (Νεόφρων ὁ Σικυώνιος) was a 5th-century BCE Greek tragedian and a contemporary of Euripides. The Suda credits him with 120 plays and claims he first introduced the paidagogos character to the stage [1]. He is primarily known for a single significant work, and ancient sources record a controversy alleging either that Euripides plagiarized Neophron's Medea or that Neophron plagiarized Euripides [1][2].

His only definitively attributed play is the tragedy Medea (Μήδεια), which survives only in fragments. Its existence and its contested relationship with Euripides' more famous version of Medea are well-documented in ancient scholarship [1][2][3].

Neophron's significance stems entirely from this ancient controversy. Aristotle cites a speech from "the Medea" in his Rhetoric, and a later commentator identifies this as a reference to Neophron's version, indicating its notable reputation [1][2]. This dispute establishes him as a minor but historically intriguing figure in the development of Attic tragedy and the handling of the Medea myth.

Sources 1. Suda, entry "Neophron" (Suda On Line): https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/sol/sol-entries/nu/102 2. Scholia on Euripides' Medea, line 9 (Perseus Digital Library): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0058:entry=medea&highlight=neophron 3. Aristotle, Rhetoric 1400b (Perseus Digital Library): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0060:book=2:section=1400b