Milites were the trained regular footsoldiers of ancient Rome, and later a term used to describe "soldiers" in Medieval Europe.
Roman Era
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.[2][3]
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.[4][5][6][7] The same term, however, was expanded to mean less distinguished infantry soldiers (milites pedites).[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.[9]
Other usages include the "Milites Templi," referring to the Knights Templar, or Milites Sancti Jacobi (Order of Santiago).[10][11][12]
From the Latin root, "Miles" derived words such as "Military" and "Militia".