Wiktionary
n. a type of light infantry units in Ancient Greece who often served as skirmishers
Wikipedia
A peltast ( Ancient Greek: πελταστής peltastes) was a type of light infantry in Thrace and Paeonia who often served as skirmishers.
Usage examples of "peltast".
I was wondering at these hanging gardens amid the forest of pink and white marble, red sardonyx, blue-gray, and cream, and black bricks, and green and yellow and tyrian tiles, when the sight of a lansquenet guarding the entrance to a casern reminded me of the promise I had made the officer of the peltasts the night before.
His shoulders crawled slightly with the knowledge that Peltast heavy sniper-rifles had probably been trained on them for the better part of an hour.
I saw the peltast who had not spoken glance at the other as if to say he means it, and then at the crowd.
Such words as peltast, androgyn, and exultant are substitutions of this kind, and are intended to be suggestive rather than definitive.
The guards in the bartizans were not city roundsmen but peltasts in half-armor, bearing transparent shields.
This was going to be a fast strike, and the lighter-armed peltasts would be more useful than the clanking heavy infantry.
The peltasts came in at either end of the curving beach, javelins and bows ready.
Macedonian phalanxes a flurry of peltasts scampered, showering the advancing Athenians with arrows and javelins and rocks.
I saw a few men fall, but by and large the peltasts did little more than irritate the Athenians.
Then again, you yourselves can see how large and how fine a fleet we have and how many fine hoplites, cavalry, slingers, peltasts, archers, mounted archers.
Among the peltasts there were a number of heavily armed warriors, each followed by his shield bearers.
Some were casting aside immense shields, shields even larger than the glassy ones of the peltasts, though they shone with the luster of metal.
The cherkajis had continued to fall back and were now in the rear of a line of peltasts, very little in advance of us.
At once we turned to engage them again, both to prevent their flanking the peltasts and to regain contact with our own army.
I ordered certain bodies of light auxiliaries into action, with a legion of peltasts in support.