Milites were the trained regular

footsoldiers Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

of ancient Rome, and later a term used to describe "

soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

" in Medieval Europe.

Roman Era

These men were the non-specialist regular soldiers that made up the bulk of a legion's numbers and were the social superiors of ordinary footsoldiers known as pedites. Alongside soldiering, they also performed guard duties, labour work, building and other non-combat roles, which increased their status in urban centers. Milites would usually have to serve for several years before becoming eligible for training to become immunes and thus become specialists with better pay.

Medieval Era

The Latin term eventually became synonymous with " soldier", a general term that, in Western Europe, became associated with the mounted knight, because they composed the professional military corps during the Early Medieval Era. The same term, however, was expanded to mean less distinguished infantry soldiers (''milites pedites''). During the

13th century The 13th century was the century which lasted from January 1, 1201 ( MCCI) through December 31, 1300 ( MCCC) in accordance with the Julian calendar. The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan, which stretched from Eastern Asia to Eastern Eu ...

the term referred to the mounted horsemen who lacked knight-status, but still had similar properties and obligations to the dubbed knights. Other usages include the " Milites Templi," referring to the

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

, or Milites Sancti Jacobi ( Order of Santiago). From the Latin root, "" derived words such as " Military" and " Militia".

References

Military ranks of ancient Rome Latin words and phrases {{Military-stub