Milites were the trained regular footsoldiers of ancient Rome, and later a term used to describe "soldiers" in Medieval Europe.
These men were the non-specialist regular soldiers that made up the bulk of a legion's numbers.
Alongside soldiering, they also performed guard duties, labour work, building and other non-combat roles, which increased their status in urban centers.
[1] Milites would usually have to serve for several years before becoming eligible for training to become immunes and thus become specialists with better pay.
[7][8] During the 13th century the term referred to the mounted horsemen who lacked knight-status, but still had similar properties and obligations to the dubbed knights.