Lachares was an Athenian orator and teacher of rhetoric, known as a sophist, who was active in the 4th century BCE. He lived during the Classical period, around the time of Alexander the Great. According to the later historian Philostratus, Lachares was a contemporary of the famous Athenian politician Demades and belonged to a group of sophists who held some reputation.

He is credited with a single known work, a speech or treatise titled On the Constitution. This work is now lost, and no fragments of its text survive; its existence is known only because Philostratus recorded its title. Consequently, the specific content of his political ideas remains unknown.

Lachares’ historical importance lies in his role as a representative of the sophistic tradition in late Classical Athens. His inclusion in Philostratus’s biographical work connects him to a long lineage of rhetorical teachers, illustrating the continued activity of sophists in an era of political transition. The title of his lost work suggests he engaged with popular themes of political theory and civic life, which were common interests among the sophists of his time.