Peltaste
The peltastes (in Greek old πελτασταί / peltastaí , of πέλτη/ péltê , light shield) is, starting from the {{S|IV|E}} before the Christian era, the infantry mercenary characteristic of the Greek armies then hellenistic.
The peltastes are recruited at the beginning in the Greek cities of the coast of Thrace then they come later from more varied horizons. This light infantry, in opposition to the heavy infantry made up of the Hoplite S, is made up soldiers carrying a shield of wicker light ( peltate ), either round or in the shape of crescent, and armed with Javelot and a sword. The peltate is sometimes covered with a sheep or goatskin, sometimes even of polished bronze.
At the beginning, they form only one auxiliary troop, used against the loads of cavalry, with the massive jet their javelins, then they use then their swords. They were probably also useful in the continuation of overcome. However, being given the low costs of equipment, the important bodies could be made up, and it happened that they gain successes vis-a-vis the Hoplite S more strongly armed, as at Lechaion or Sphactérie where they forced the army Spartan (locked up in the small island vis-a-vis the roads of Pylos) to go.
In the army Macedonian, the body of the Hypaspiste S plays an identical part with however a a little different armament.
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