Psiloi

In Ancient Greek armies, the psiloi (Ancient Greek ψιλοί, singular ψιλός, psilos, literally "bare, stripped")[1] were the light infantry who usually acted as skirmishers and missile troops, and who were distinguished from the armored hoplitai (heavy infantry) by their light weapons and lack of armor.

Numbered among the psiloi were archers, the toxotai armed with a bow (toxa), and slingers, the (sphendonetai) who hurled stones or metal bullets with slings (sfendonai).

A member of the psiloi was normally a man or boy from the lower ranks of his society, unable to afford the shield and armor of the hoplites, let alone the horse ridden by the socially elite cavalryman, the hippeus (ἱππεύς).

These were short, light weapons whose long metal points were designed to bend to prevent re-use by the enemy once thrown.

[10][11] Greek language military treatises of Late Antique and later Byzantine periods of the Roman Empire call all light troops psiloi, regardless of their defensive equipment.