# Laches — History of the Peloponnesian War character guide

> Laches in History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides.

**Role:** supporting

**First appearance:** 0002-book-i

## Snapshot

Athenian general who helps negotiate the uneasy truce with Sparta and later commands in Sicily, balancing diplomacy against the appetite for conquest.

## Who they are

Laches moves between the battlefield and the bargaining table, one of the men Athens trusts to sound out Sparta when both sides need breathing room. His measured temperament makes him a natural foil to more aggressive colleagues, though his Sicilian command shows how easily good judgment is overruled. He represents the fragile middle ground between war and negotiation that the conflict keeps eroding.

## In the story

### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/history_of_the_peloponnesian_war_se/chapters/xi)

Commands the Athenian fleet in Sicily after the death of Charoeades; leads operations against Mylae and Messina.

### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/history_of_the_peloponnesian_war_se/chapters/xvi)

Mentioned as one of the negotiators of the treaty with Sparta, alongside Nicias, which contributed to Alcibiades' resentment.

### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/history_of_the_peloponnesian_war_se/chapters/xviii)

Mentioned as having led an earlier expedition to Sicily, providing context for the current campaign.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/history_of_the_peloponnesian_war_se/characters/laches
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/history_of_the_peloponnesian_war_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/history_of_the_peloponnesian_war_se/characters