argyráspidas 18
Of argyros , silver and aspis aspidos , shield : shield of silver . Elite corps of Alexander the Great's army. They wore silver shields and helmets but no breastplates, which gave them more mobility. They moved between the heavy infantry of the hoplites and the cavalry. They used to be called hypaspists (hypo-aspi). Alexander renamed them in India. At his death they had internal dissensions until Antigonus I Monophthalmos dispersed them.