Line infantry armed with a large shield and heavy spear.
Greek and Roman units often took their names from the equipment they carried (e.g. hoplite is derived from the hoplon shield). In the Roman army the shield was known as a scutus. In the Byzantine armies, the soldiers who carried shields were known as Skoutatoi. These were the standard line infantry of medieval Roman armies and in addition to their large shield, they were also armed with spears and/or swords.