Mounted archers armed with a composite bow, sword and shield.
Simply meaning "horse-archers", Ippotoxotai is a generic name for cavalry archers serving in the Empire's armies. Up until the early medieval period, cavalry such as this were used to directly charge enemy lines as multi-role archers/lancers. However, the development of heavier armoured cavalry and the recruitment of Turkopouloi (soldiers of mixed Greek/Turkish heritage) changed their role to that of mounted archers, taking advantage of the Turkopoles' skills in the saddle. They were armed with a composite bow, sword and a round shield.