The naval battle of the Echinades was the last naval victory of the Byzantine Empire. Opponents were the fleet of the Empire under Dimitrios Laskaris Leontarios and the fleet of the Latin dynasty of Lefkada-Zakynthos-Kefalonia and western Greece Carlo I Toco.
In the 15th century, the Frankish conquest of the Peloponnese was largely a memory, with the Despotate of Mystras having liberated most of the Peloponnesian lands. The Toko family, however, kept an eye on the Peloponnese and appeared as the successor of Centurion Zacharias, the last Latin ruler of the Morea.
In 1423, although the warring parties made a temporary peace to face the Turks, they failed to intercept the Ottoman general Turahan. However, immediately after the departure of the Turks, the despot of Mystras, Theodore II Palaiologos, crushed Zakaria's forces and captured him.
On the occasion of this event, Carlo Toco launched raids against the Byzantines in Ilia from Glarenza, which he owned and had made a base, and in 1426 the war officially broke out. The Byzantines immediately began to besiege the city by land and sea, in the presence of the emperor John VIII Palaiologos, who had gone to the Peloponnese.
In response Carlo Tocco gathered a fleet from his possessions which he assigned to the command of his illegitimate son Torno. There is no precise information about the composition of this fleet and the number and type of ships it had.
The Byzantine fleet under Dimitrios Laskaris Leontarios was sent against this fleet. Nor do we have precise information about the number of ships and the composition of the Byzantine fleet. What is known from a solemn speech to the emperor Manuel II Palaiologos is the result of the conflict that took place near the Echinacea islands.
Toko's fleet was completely destroyed. Most of his men were killed and at least 150 captured. The head of Torno Toko barely managed to escape. From the number of prisoners we can assume that the number of boats on both sides must not have been large.
However, this victory resulted in the destruction of Toko's ambitions for the Peloponnese. Glarenza was given as a dowry to Constantine Palaiologos, later the last emperor, who married Toco's niece Maddalena.
With their backs secured, the Paleologians liberated the entire Peloponnese, except for the areas controlled by Venice, liberating Patras as well, in 1430.