I am am currently attempting to produce a list of the ten most important eunuchs in history. Below is my provisional list. Please make comments and suggestions as to anyone you think ought to be added or subtracted. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

Jesus

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The 10 Most Significant Eunuchs in History

(In chronological order)

Bagoas

4th century BCE

Catamite of Darius III of Persia & then of Alexander the Great.

Influential in changing Alexander’s attitude toward Persians & therefore in the King’s policy decision to try to integrate the conquered peoples fully into his Empire as loyal subjects. He thereby paved the way for the relative success of Alexander’s Seleucid successors and greatly enhanced the penetration of Greek culture to the East.

Ganymedes

1st century BCE

Highly capable adviser & general of Cleopatra VII’s sister & rival, Princess Arsinoe. Uniquely defeated & almost killed Julius Caesar in battle at Alexandria, capturing his cloak in the process. Could have changed the history of Rome and of the eastern Mediterranean if he had not been displaced through Egyptian court intrigue.

Cai Lun (Ts'ai Lun in the old romanization)

1st/2nd century CE

Reasonable evidence exists to suggest that he was truly the inventor of paper. At the very least, he established the importance of paper and standardized its manufacture in the Chinese empire. Try to imagine the modern world without his invention.

Eutropius

5th century CE

Only eunuch known to have attained the highly distinguished and very influential position of Roman Consul.

Narses

478-573

General of Byzantine Emperor, Justinian I, responsible for destroying the Ostrogoths in 552 at Taginae in Italy and saving Rome for the empire.

Stauracius

8th century CE

Loyal & successful servant & general of Empress Irene of Byzantium. Would probably have uniquely succeeded her on the throne as emperor if he had not succumbed to untimely disease in 800.

Ignatius of Constantinople

799-877

Worthy ecclesiastic. Twice Patriarch of Constantinople during troubled political times [847-858 & 867-877]. First absolutly unquestioned eunuch saint, recognised by both the Orthodox & Roman Churches. (There are a great many early saints who were probably eunuchs, though none either as influential nor unquestioned as to their castration.)

Abelard, Pierre

1079-1142

French scholastic philosopher & theologian

Zheng He

1371-1433

Great Chinese admiral & explorer.

Broschi, Carlo called Farinelli

1705-82

Greatest Italian castrato.

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As an academic, I’m also drawn to Sima Qian (old romanization: Ssu-ma Chi’en) (2nd/1st century BCE), who was the first person to have practiced modern historiography – gatherering and analyzing both primary and secondary sources in order to write his monumental history of the Chinese empire. If I decide to add him, he would probably replace Stauracius.

I have excluded infamous eunuchs & those with unproven histories, such as Hadrian’s Antinous, whose demise as a result of a botched castration is only one theory regarding the reason for his untimely ‘Death on the Nile’ as described in the story of that name by Pueros on the Archive. He may have become a diety in the Roman pantheon, but he may or may not have been a eunuch – and then only in the last day of his life.

I have also excluded Origen of Alexandria, as I cannot think of him as a great Christian philosopher if part of his early beliefs included a need to castrate himself and he then renounced and regreted those beliefs later in life.

Despite the fact that Tertullian, the first great Christian theologian, wrote that Jesus Christ was a eunuch, I doubt that I could include him on this list. There is no corroboration that Jesus was a eunuch in any other early source. (The Skoptzy did, however, believe it to be true.)

Any suggestions will be gratefully accepted.

JesusA (imported) wrote: Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:05 pm Bagoas

4th century BCE

Catamite of Darius III of Persia & then of Alexander the Great.

Influential in changing Alexander’s attitude toward Persians & therefore in the King’s policy decision to try to integrate the conquered peoples fully into his Empire as loyal subjects. He thereby paved the way for the relative success of Alexander’s Seleucid successors and greatly enhanced the penetration of Greek culture to the East.

Jesus, I don't know of everybody on your list, but Bagoas is an important one. I agree with your assessment of him. Mary Renault wrote a very good book about his and Alexander's relationship in her Alexander the Great trilogy.

Oliver Stone's recent movie ignores Bagoas and concentrates of Alexander's relationship with Hephaestion, who wasn't a eunuch. This is one of many things about that movie as described in the reviews that makes me not want to go see it.

Norman

N_O_Johnson (imported) wrote: Wed Dec 15, 2004 5:13 am Jesus, I don't know of everybody on your list, but Bagoas is an important one. I agree with your assessment of him. Mary Renault wrote a very good book about his and Alexander's relationship in her Alexander the Great trilogy.

Oliver Stone's recent movie ignores Bagoas and concentrates of Alexander's relationship with Hephaestion, who wasn't a eunuch. This is one of many things about that movie as described in the reviews that makes me not want to go see it.

Norman

Bagoas is portrayed in the movie-although his name-to my knowledge-isn't used. The worst thing about the movie is that Stone has made a boring movie about one of history's most interesting characters. I love stories about Alexander, but I kept wondering, "Will this movie ever end?"

Jesus - Kudos. Your list is quite an interesting read. Are you writing a longer tract with more information on each of them as well as some that didn't make the cut. (Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun. )

I'd love to read more of your material on this subject.

Regards,

Taylor

Jesus, I agree with your list as far as the historical eunuchs whose stories I'm familiar with and I trust your reasoning behind including those I don't know well. I think the reasons for excluding some from the list are very sound indeed. --FLO--

Jesus--

One eunuch you might look at, as one of the most important, is Judar Pasha. While the Moroccan conquest of the Sudan was temporary, and that part of the world was something of a backwater at the time (late sixteenth and early seventeenth century), Judar Pasha's accomplishments in conquering the Sudan, are quite impressive. Simply getting his army across the Sahara to invade the sudan, was a substantial achievement. I don't think there is any doubt that he was a eunuch--he was a Spaniard who was brought to Morocco, I think, as a teenager. Muhammed Pasha, who succeeded him as commander of the Moroccan army, and who completed the pacification of the sudan, was also a eunuch.

Another historical figure who may or may not have been a eunuch, was Paracelsus. His career as an alchemist and (I guess) physician was somewhat checkered, but he is supposed to have contributed to the origins of chemical analysis.

I'm not familiar with all the eunuchs you mention, but I would agree with your inclusions of Bagoas and Cheng Ho, also Narses and Farinelli. I haven't read Abelard's writings, but my impression is, that he is considered noteworthy mostly because of his emasculation and the story of his affair with Heloise. Maybe there is more there than I have read about.

Don't remember the fellow's name, but I seem to remember reading that, when a dowager empress ruled China during the Ching dynasty era, one of her eunuchs had enough influence with her, that he was de facto ruler of the country for a while. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but I remember reading something to that effect.

Another Bagoas preceeded the one mentioned by Jesus. This Bagoas, also a eunuch, ruled the Persian empire just prior to the invasion by Alexander. He actually installed Darius III on the throne-then was killed by him.

Bagoas (http://www.livius.org/ba-bd/bagoas/bagoas.html)

another site: bagoas (http://64.1911encyclopedia.org/B/BA/BAGOAS.htm)

The career of Bagoas is summarized by Diodorus of Sicily in section 17.5 of his World history (click here for text). According to this Greek author, Bagoas was chiliarch of king Artaxerxes III Ochus, a title that can best be translated with 'vizier'. He was, in other words, responsible for the government of the empire.

Bagoas had reached this position not in the least place because he was a eunuch and did not belong to the noble families. It was a well known fact that members of the Persian aristocracy who had obtained influence at court, would use this influence to promote the career of their relatives, something that the kings did not like: too powerful families could become competitors for power. Hence, they trusted eunuchs more than Persian noblemen - who, in turn, hated the eunuchs.

Seal of Artaxerxes III, showing

his Egyptian victory.

(From P. Briant, Histoire de l'

Empire Perse, 1995; ©!!!)

But the king could trust them, and this explains why Bagoas rose to power. It is possible that he is identical to the 'Bagoses' who is mentioned in Jewish sources as one of the Persian commanders who restored order in Judah during the reign of Artaxerxes III Ochus. We have more certainty about Bagoas' role in Artaxerxes' successful campaign against pharaoh Nectanebo II of Egypt. He had been rewarded with the supreme command in the eastern satrapies, as some kind of 'super-satrap'. Finally, he had become chiliarch, "a eunuch in physical fact but a militant rogue in disposition", in Diodorus' words.

According to to the same author, king Artaxerxes "oppressed his subjects cruelly and harshly". This is the only reason that is ever given in our sources for the deed that made Bagoas famous (or notorious): the poisoning of almost the entire royal family. It must be noted that there is a cuneiform tablet (BM 71537) that can be read as if king Artaxerxes died of natural causes. For the moment, this is too vague to ignore Diodorus, but it is possible that the present article has to be rewritten soon.

The only survivors were a girl named Parysatis and a young man named Arses, who became king under the name Artaxerxes IV. He must have been Bagoas' puppet and was forced to reward the eunuch who had killed his whole family. Perhaps the reward consisted of an estate in Babylon, famous for its gardens, and a palace in Susa; they are mentioned as Bagoas' property.

Almost immediately after the accession of the new king, things went wrong for him and his master. The assassination caused greater upheavals than they could control. At least two satrapies revolted: Egypt -which had reason to hate its conqueror anyhow- and Babylonia (although the evidence for the insurrection of Nidin-Bêl is meager). To add to these troubles, the king of Macedonia, Philip, prepared an attack on Persia's possessions in what is now Turkey: his trusted general Parmenion crossed the Hellespont in the spring of 336.

Under these circumstances, it comes as no surprise that the Persian nobility was divided. To them, it was intolerable that they were to be ruled by a eunuch -whom they despised anyhow- and a boy king. Prince Artašata, a distant relative of Artaxerxes, seems to exercised pressure. He was a powerful man and a formidable warrior, and he received support from several noblemen (e.g., Pharnabazus). It would seem from Diodorus that Artaxerxes now wanted to remove Bagoas; this forced Bagoas to kill the puppet king (summer of 336). Artašata now became king under the name of Darius III Codomannus. One of his first acts was the execution of Bagoas.

Thus ended the career of one of the most mysterious figures in ancient history. Bagoas killed Artaxerxes III and Artaxerxes IV and carries the responsibility for the crisis in Persia, which was used by the Macedonian king Philip and his successor Alexander the Great to overthrow the Achaemenid empire. The mystery is that we simply do not know what made him kill his benefactors.

Our (Greek) sources are unequivocally hostile to the man, a hostility that ultimately goes back to the hatred that eunuchs incurred at the Persian court. Bagoas became a moral example, as we can see in the concluding remarks of Diodorus.

As to Bagoas, an odd thing happened to him and one to point a moral. Pursuing his habitual savagery he attempted to remove Darius by poison. The plan leaked out, however, and the king, calling upon Bagoas, as it were, to drink to him a toast and handing him his own cup compelled him to take his own medicine.

Jesus,

Great list but maybe it should be the top 20.

I dont remember his name, but a greek writer I think that he was a slave. I dont know if this is the same person or another greek, but he was castrated as a teen or young man, later in his life he met again the person that had castrated him, he made friends with the man and invited him and his family for a party, when they arive he and his sons I am thinking 4 of them were all castrated.

Robby, If I am not on the list you cant be . OK we will both be on the list.

Jesus, thanks for the card.

Riverwind

That would be Hermotimus (sp?) who was captured by one Panionius of Chios.

According to Herodotus, in his "Histories", Panionius made a living by gelding "any good looking boy he could get his hands on" and then taking them to Sardis or Ephesus where he sold them - usually for a high price. One young boy, Hermotimus, a prisoner of war, was later given to ...I forget which ruler ... as a gift in a tribute package.

The young eunuch made a good career for himself with his new master, and several years later, while touring with the Emporer's retinue, met up with the man who had castrated and sold him. Hermotimus invited Panionius (obviously not a very smart fellow) over to his place, and then siezed him and his four sons. He then informed the slaver who he was, what he had done, and just how he felt about it. It seems that Hermotimus carried a bit of a grudge, and after Panionius had castrated his four sons, the sons castrated their father.

This is from "Herodotus - The Histories". I can't put the page number or the ISBN, because right now I can't find it!

I want to thank An Onymous for reminding me of Judar Pasha. I have read of him, but have far too few details about his life and contributions. The one source that I can remember reading described him as a blonde, blue-eyed Spanish eunuch. This only means that he arrived in North Africa by way of Spain. He is more likely to have been of Slavic origin, castrated as a small boy, most likely in France before export south. He may well make any proper top ten list. I need to do some more research to see what I can find on him.

Slammr brings up the problem of multiple “Bagoas”. The word “bagoas” is Persian for “eunuch” and is probably a term of description rather than the real name of any of those so designated. We do not know the proper name of the “bagoas” associated with Alexander the Great, only that he was clearly a eunuch.

I want, too, to thank Paolo for reminding me of Herodotus. Below are the two chapters dealing with Hermotimus:

The Histories, Book 8, chapters 105 & 106

No one we know of has ever exacted a more total retribution for a wrong done to him than Hermotimus. He was taken prisoner in a war, put up for sale, and bought by a man from Chios called Panionius. Now, Panionius made a living in the most atrocious way imaginable. What he used to do was acquire good-looking boys, castrate them and take them to Sardis and Ephesus, where he would offer them for sale at very high prices; in foreign countries eunuchs command higher prices than whole men on account of their complete reliability. One of Panionius’ victims – one among a great many – was Hermotimus. In fact, however, Hermotimus’ luck was not all bad: he was sent from Sardis to Xerxes’ court as one of a number of gifts, and eventually became the king’s most valued eunuch.

Now, when Xerxes was in Sardis, in the course of setting out with his army against Athens, Hermotimus went down on some business or other to the part of Mysia called Atarneus, where people from Chios live, and he met Panionius there. He entered into a long, friendly conversation with him, first listing all the benefits that had come his way thanks to Panionius, and then offering to do as much good to him in return; all he had to do, he said, was move his family to Atarneus and live there. Panionius gladly accepted Hermotimus’ offer and moved his wife and children there. So when Hermotimus had Panionius and his whole family where he wanted, he said, “Panionius, there is no one in the world who makes a living in as foul a way as you do. What harm did I or any of my family do to you or any of yours? Why did you make ma a nothing instead of a man? You expected the gods not to notice what you used to do in those days, but the law they follow is one of justice, and for your crimes they have delivered you into my hands. As a result, then, you should have no grounds for complaint about the payment I am going to exact from you.’ When he had finished this rebuke, he had Panionius’ sons brought into the room and proceeded to force him to castrate all four of them. The deed was done, under compulsion, and afterwards Hermotimus forced the sons to castrate their father. And that is how vengeance and Hermotimus caught up with Panionius.

---Herodotus, The Histories, Translated by Robin Waterfield. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), pp. 523-24.

Eunuchs are also central to one other section of The Histories:

The Corinthians were also happy to contribute towards the realization of the expedition against Samos, because a generation previously (at about the same time as the theft of the bowl) they too had met with offensive treatment at the hands of the Samians. Periander the son of Cypselus had sent to Alyattes at Sardis three hundred male children, the sons of the leading families of Corcyra, for castration. The Corinthians who were taking the boys there put in at Samos, and when the Samians found out the reason why the boys were being taken to Sardis, the first thing they did was teach the boys about making contact with the sacred ground of the sanctuary of Artemis, and then they made sure that no one dragged the boys out of the sanctuary once they had taken refuge there. When the Corinthians cut off the boys’ provisions, the Samians instituted a festival (which is in fact still celebrated in the same way nowadays), which involved unmarried girls and boys dancing every night, for the duration of the Corcyran boys’ asylum in the sanctuary, and then they made it a rule of the festival that the dancers had to carry snacks of sesame and honey, so that the Corcyran boys could snatch them out of their hands and get food. This went on until the Corinthians who were guarding the boys gave up and went away; then the Samians took the boys back to Corcyra.

---Book 3, chapter 48 (pages 189-90)