Western European cavalry fighting for the Byzantine Empire. Armed with lances and swords.
Since the time of Justinian and the Roman reconquista of Italy many European warriors offered their military service to the Byzantine Empire. These included Franks, Goths and Lombards. However the most well-known Latinikon were the Norman knights that entered the Empire's service after the first Romano/Norman war in Italy. These Norman knights brought to the Byzantine army the concept of the shock cavalry charge, a tactic foreign to the Empire's forces up until this time. Many times found to be untrustworthy especially when the Empire fought against Catholic states, but they were one of the most reliable against Muslim enemies. In Byzantine service, they often adopted armour and weapon styles from the Roman armoury.