Milites

Milites is the Latin word for "soldiers". In Ancient Rome the milites were the foot soldiers of the Roman army. There were many different types and ranks of milites in the Roman army 
In the early Middle Ages the word "milites" was used to describe free men using weapons. Later, the term applied to soldiers on horseback, then to the social class of knights, and finally to the nobility in general. The Knights Templar were known as "Milites Templi".