New Approaches to Byzantine History and Culture

Kontani, Yuki

This book explores understudied aspects of eunuchs in Byzantium from the sixth through mid-eleventh centuries, with a particular emphasis on the imperial attitudes toward eunuchs and castration reflected in imperial legislation. Eunuchs were key figures in the empire, known especially for their close relationships with emperors as chamberlains of the imperial bedchamber, imperial administrators and military commanders of imperial troops. They attracted the interest of various contemporaries because they played an important role in the political, military or religious spheres. Furthermore, their infertility and physical characteristics set them apart from most people. This book revisits and enlarges the history of eunuchs in the Byzantine empire through comprehensive source analysis, focusing particularly on Byzantine legal sources codified and promulgated in the name of the emperors.

Details

Published by: Palgrave Macmillan

Publication Date: 2026-01-03

Format: Hardcover

ISBN-13: 9783032073587

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-07359-4

Dimensions: 210cm x148cm

Pages: 302