ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns the court eunuchs of the Byzantine empire. It focuses on the powerful eunuchs as members of the ruling elite, considering in particular the family connections of such eunuchs, specific cases of powerful court eunuchs and, especially, the perception of the gender of these eunuchs. The chapter concentrates on a defined period, when the empire was ruled by the Macedonian dynasty. The chapter concludes with an analysis of the place of powerful court eunuchs within Byzantium and the perceptions of them by contemporaries. It argues that to properly understand eunuchs' identity - of which gender is only a part – eunuchs need to be studied together with Byzantine men as a whole. With the subject of eunuchs - castrated men - gender inevitably raises its head, and it is clearly a relevant and significant issue. However, it is not the only issue important for identity; for instance, class, age and ethnicity all need to be considered too.
