The Eunuch in Byzantine History and Society

Routledge Monographs in Classical Studies

by Shaun Tougher

The existence of eunuchs was one of the defining features of the Byzantine Empire. Covering the whole span of the history of the empire, from the fourth to the fifteenth centuries AD, Shaun Tougher presents a comprehensive survey of the history and roles of eunuchs, making use of extensive comparative material, such as from China, Persia and the Ottoman Empire, as well as about castrato singers of the eighteenth century of Enlightenment Europe, and self-castrating religious devotees such as the Galli of ancient Rome, early Christians, the Skoptsy of Russia and the Hijras of India. The various roles played by eunuchs are examined. They are not just found as servile attendants; some were powerful political players – such as Chrysaphius who plotted to assassinate Attila the Hun – and others were prominent figures in Orthodoxy as bishops and monks. Furthermore, there is offered an analysis of how society thought about eunuchs, especially their gender identity - were they perceived as men, women, or a third sex? The broad survey of the political and social position of eunuchs in the Byzantine Empire is placed in the context of the history of the eunuch in general. An appendix listing key eunuchs of the Byzantine Empire describing their careers is included, and the text is fully illustrated.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

244 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Netta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Интересная и очень академически увлекательная книжка, в которой пару глав хочется поменять местами, чтобы так необходимая для восприятия текста про положение придворных евнухов глава про идентичность и образ евнухов оказалась в начале, а не в конце. Ну и опечатки бы еще вычитать, конечно. И иллюстрации нормально дать.

[DW Rowlands · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely an interesting read, even if I would've liked a bit more trans-awareness from the author. A major thing that I learned from it, beyond just how early the Roman Empire started to adopt the use of court eunuchs, is the significant role that eunuchs played in the Eastern Church. I had heard of the Church Fathers' early decrees banning eunuchs (apparently, only self-castrated ones) from holy orders, but hadn't realized how narrowly that had been interpreted in the East, and that there were even monasteries solely for eunuchs and parents who had their children castrated in preparation for a career in the Church.

[Stefanos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good academic book on the topic, with a thorough examination of popular scholarly theories checked against textual and visual evidence. The last chapter on the Palaioligian period feels a bit rushed, resembling more to an afterthought rather than to a full evaluation, but that is absolutely fine: the resilient reader will have learned a lot to digest by then.

A Herculean task aiming at instigating interest in writing a more comprehensive account of the topic, that will bring together evidence and theories from other fields, as the author states at the very end of the book. I am indeed grateful, for I have finally tackled questions I have been pondering on for years.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part on self-castration was very inspirational