Hippotoxotai were the horse archers of the Hellenic Greeks, a style of warrior copyed from the eastern enemies of Greece. 

Fighting against the Persians, and Indians during Alexander's campaign showed commanders the value of horse archers, particularly when facing slow-moving infantry. Never ones to reject a good military idea, the Greeks adopted these troops as "hippotoxotai", drawing on the Macedonian and northern Greek traditions of horsemanship in the process. Hippotoxotai are lightly armoured and are best described as "medium archers" - they can be caught by light cavalry forces if carelessly deployed. Used to support infantry, they can be an very effective harrasing force. They are armed with compound bows, a good weapon in the dry climate of the east but one that reacts very badly to damp weather conditions. 
