Milites facts for kids

Knights Templar on horseback. This drawing was made in the 13th century.

Milites is a Latin word that means "soldiers." In Ancient Rome, the milites were mainly the foot soldiers of the powerful Roman army. There were many different kinds of milites and ranks within the Roman military.

Over time, the meaning of "milites" changed. In the early Middle Ages, it described any free man who carried weapons. Later, the term specifically referred to soldiers who fought on horseback. Eventually, it came to mean the social class of knights. Even later, it could refer to the nobility (important families) in general. For example, the famous Knights Templar were known as "Milites Templi," which means "Soldiers of the Temple."