Laches (general)

Laches (c. 460 BC; † 418 BC) was an Athenian general in the Peloponnesian War.

Laches, son of Melanopos, was in 427 BC, together with Charöades sent with a fleet to Sicily to assist Leontinoi and allied with him other chalkidisch - ionic States against Syracuse. As Charöades 426 fell, Laches took over the command of the fleet alone and forced Mylae and Messana to surrender. Beginning of 425 he was replaced by Pythodoros in supreme command. Accused by Cleon to have committed embezzlement in Sicily, he was acquitted, but received no command more and pulled under Hippocrates Hoplite with to Boeotia, where he, like the philosopher Socrates and his pupil Alcibiades, took part in the battle of Delion. After Cleon's death again come to influence, he negotiated together with the peace of Nicias, which came about in the spring of 421. 418 he commanded with Nikostratos the troops who were sent to help the Argives. Both Athenian commander fell in the battle of Mantinea.