ABSTRACT
The topic of castration is vital to a discussion of eunuchs, although as has been seen castration can be studied in its own right; it is not identical to the subject of eunuchs. This book is primarily concerned with those who were deliberately created eunuchs by themselves or others, but this chapter will touch on wider issues. The reasons for the occurrence of castration will be identified, as well as the varying degrees and methods of the operation. The physical consequences of castration will be explored, but the ideological consequences will receive some initial consideration too. What concepts existed about eunuchs due to the fact that they were physically altered human beings? The chapter will also acknowledge the fact that not everyone had to be created a eunuch on purpose: some individuals were eunuchs by birth or accident. A broad historical approach will inform the discussion, but evidence relating to the Greco-Roman and Byzantine worlds will be of particular concern.
