@Genieljay 28 June 2021 more from that month

The Peltast is a famous light skirmisher of the Ancient Greeks. Though the unit originated from the Thracian tribes north of Macedonia, it was eventually adopted by the Greeks due to the inadequacy of the better armored, but slow-moving Hoplites in fighting enemies accustomed to mountain warfare and desert plains (Goodluck marching miles away from home, wearing heavy loads, in a desolate place with little to no drinkable water source under the scorching heat of the sun lol!) The Peltasts are lightly armed. They carry no armor except for a helmet that only protects the top of the head. They are equipped with a thin shield called 'pelte' (the origin of their name), some javelins, and occasionally a spear. Because of this, they are easy to recruit as they did not require expensive battle gears to fight wars. They also don't get tired quickly and are nimbler in comparison to the standard hoplites, which they can outrun with ease, making them ideal for hit-and-run tactics against them The standard tactic of the Peltast units is to shower javelins at enemy units, then retreat from an area in which they are unassailable or difficult to catch. Rinse and repeat. If the enemy army became sufficiently tired out, demoralized, and disorganized after some time, the Peltasts can be ordered to charge at them head-on and fight them in melee to drive them out. But they stand a better chance in fighting lighter troops like slingers and archers as their equipment gives them a better advantage in melee combat. If the Pelstas were ordered to retreat, for some reason, they can put their shields on their backs to minimize injuries from rocks and arrows as well as stabs and slashes from horsemen that chase them. They are ideal for staging an ambush in the woods, hills, and gorges against an unsuspecting enemy column. The cavalry and densely packed troops are easy targets because of their size. The Athenian general Iphicrates had abused their speed advantage to great effect that they were able to decimate the legendary and arguably much more experienced Spartans in a battle with minimal losses.