ABSTRACT
The significant use of eunuchs by the imperial court established in the later Roman period was maintained in the Byzantine empire. Politically powerful eunuchs are particularly evident in the middle Byzantine era. There were however notable transformations in the identity of Byzantine court eunuchs. The titles and posts available to eunuchs increased, and there was a tendency for eunuchs to be supplied from the native population of the empire as well as from the traditional source of foreigners living outside the empire. This chapter will explore these transformations, and consider the reasons for them.
