Basic militia unit armed with spear and shield.
Their name is derived from the Greek word for spear (kontos or kontarion). Kontaratoi are the basic militia infantry unit of each thema (province) of the Empire. They make up the majority of each province's armed forces. While not completely untrained, Kontaratoi are still inferior to other, more professional units such as the Scoutatoi. Unlike the more professional units of the provincial armies they often use a larger variety of armour types, from cloth, to padded and even some chain mail Kontaratoi are provided with a spear, shield and a metal helmet.