Conclusion

The peltast is elusive in definition, for the Greeks were loose with their terminology. But in general, the peltast is an organized and regular light-armed infantryman, very different from psiloi, whose characteristics were opposite to those of the hoplite. The Greeks were at first slow to adopt the peltast into their military repertoire. They encountered such troops in the Archaic period - specifically Thracians and Anatolian peoples - but did not take advantage of this knowledge for a long time. At first they chiefly used peltasts when campaigning in a country where they could be hired or otherwise used, or because such troops were less expensive to equip, hire or pay. Only as the Peloponnesian War drew to a close did they begin to fulfil the potential of the peltast.

From then on peltasts were used in increasing numbers, becoming to a large extent the dominant arm on campaign (if not on the battlefield) until the Macedonian phalanx of Philip II. They could be used defensively to guard passes, and offensively for raiding and siege warfare, and if supported by cavalry and/or hoplites could win engagements against any type of foe. They were extremely versatile and flexible troops; in addition to the above they were well suited to pursuit and fighting in difficult terrain. As professionalism increased, they were relied on more and more - and as the fourth century progressed the line between hoplites and peltasts may well have blurred. Indeed, there is much to be said for the theory that peltasts were an important influence on the development sarissa-wielding heavy infantry of Macedon, which was to dominate the battlefield for many years after its inception.

In battle peltasts were expert skirmishers, using missiles and maneuverability to frustrate and wear down heavier opponents until these broke or retreated, often in combination with cavalry or psiloi, as well as hoplites. They were, however, vulnerable to cavalry.

The peltast, then, was an important stepping-stone in the evolution of western warfare, shifting focus from the coded, almost contrived warfare of the hoplite phalanx to a more pragmatic and hardheaded approach to war. 

Bibliography

Thucydides The Peloponnesian War, (trans. Richard Crawley)
Xenophon Hellenica (trans. Carleton L. Brownson.)
Xenophon Anabasis (trans. Carleton L. Brownson.)
Plato Laws, (trans. R.G. Bury)
Diodorus Siculus Library, (trans. C. H. Oldfather)
J. Boardman Athenian Archaic Red Figure Vases, Thames and Hudson
J. Boardman Athenian Classical Red Figure Vases, Thames and Hudson
J. Boardman Athenian Black Figure Vases, Thames and Hudson
F. Lissarrague L'autre Guerrier, Paris 1990, Ecole Francaise de Rome
H. Parke Greek Mercenary Soldiers, Oxford, 1933
Kenneth Pritchett The Greek State at War, University of California Press
A. Snodgrass Arms and Armour of the Greeks, John Hopkins, 1999
Liddel & Scott Greek-English Lexicon, Oxford, 1994 Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary Oxford, 2002
Perseus Website: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu

The Peltast in Classical Greece

Preface and Introduction
What is a Peltast?
Speed and Maneuverability
Equipment and Function
Effectiveness in Battle
Conclusion and Bibliography
Peltasts in Action Diagram (27K)
Peltasts on Attic Amphora (86K)
Peltasts on Attic Cup (73K)