Lamachus (468–413 BCE)
Born 468 BCE, died 413 BCE.
Lamachus (Ancient Greek: Λάμαχος) was an Athenian strategos or general in the Peloponnesian War. He commanded as early as 435 BCE, and was prominent by the mid 420s. Aristophanes caricatured him in The Acharnians and subsequently honoured his memory in The Frogs. He was one of the three generals (alongside Nicias and Alcibiades) placed in command of the Sicilian Expedition. Lamachus, though older, was known for his fiery disposition and was fond of taking risks in battle. He was also so poor that during the campaigns in which he served as a general, he would charge the Athenian people money for his own clothes and boots. Although Lamachus was known for his courage and military skill, he was sometimes thought less qualified than other generals because he lacked the necessary wealth and social position. Plutarch first mentions Lamachus in The Life of Pericles. Lamachus was given command of a fleet of thirteen ships so that he might aid the citizens of Sinope against Timesileos.
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