velites

/ (ˈviːlɪˌtiːz) /

light-armed troops in ancient Rome, drawn from the poorer classes

Word Origin for velites

C17: from Latin, pl of vēles light-armed foot soldier; related to volāre to fly

From that time the Roman cavalry had the superiority; and it was established that there should be velites in the legions.

The History of Rome; Books Nine to Twenty-Six |Titus Livius
To avoid infection, the corpses of the velites had been speedily buried; and the position of the graves was no longer visible.

Salammbo |Gustave Flaubert
Did I not win a musket of honour among the Velites of the Guard?

The Adventures of Gerard |Arthur Conan Doyle
The youngest soldiers or Velites are ordered to carry a sword, spears, and target (parma).

The Histories of Polybius, Vol. I (of 2) |Polybius

It was the corps of the Roman velites who did them most harm.

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 56, Number 348 |Various