After centuries spent dedicated to perfecting hoplite warfare, Greek tacticians began to develop skirmish tactics to support the mighty phalanx. As a result, infantry slingers, archers and javelinmen were fielded by Greek armies from the time of the Persian invasion onwards, but more prominently during the Peloponnesian War by generals such as Iphicrates. The skirmisher's winning tactic was to get in close, shower the enemy flanks with missiles and then withdraw in good order, with minimal melee. Designed to break the stalemate that could occur when massed spears pushed against each other, peltasts were named for the small, wicker 'pelta' shields they carried; however, the word eventually became synonymous with the javelin combat they practised. At first, Thracians, with whom many skirmish tactics had originated, were exclusively employed as mercenary peltasts, but gradually the skills required spread right across Greece. Despite this, peltasts are often depicted in art wearing the distinctive 'Phrygian' caps popular among Thracian soldiers of the day.
