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Eunuchs are individuals who have undergone castration, a procedure involving the removal of their sexual organs. This practice has been observed across numerous cultures and historical eras. From ancient Sumeria to modern times (the last Chinese Imperial Eunuch passed away in 1996), eunuchs have served in diverse roles. Given the prevalence of this practice, it is no surprise that many have left a significant mark on history.
10. Thomas Corbett
Unlike most men on this list, who were castrated against their will, Thomas ‘Boston’ Corbett chose this path voluntarily. After losing his wife during childbirth, Corbett struggled with temptation from prostitutes. To resist sin, he used a pair of scissors to remove his testicles. Demonstrating remarkable resilience, he attended a prayer meeting and had dinner before seeking medical attention for his injuries.
Corbett’s claim to fame lies not in his act of self-castration but in his role in tracking down and killing John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated President Lincoln. While Booth was cornered in a barn, Corbett spotted him through a crack in the wall and shot him dead, defying orders to capture him alive. Following this event, Corbett resumed his previous occupation as a hat maker. Some speculate that the mercury used in his trade may have contributed to the episodes of insanity he later experienced, a common issue among hatters of his time.
9. Judar Pasha
Born in 16th-century Spain, Judar was captured as an infant by Muslim slavers. Castrated, a common practice for servants during that era, he was sold to the Moroccan Sultan. This followed a tradition of Christian children serving Muslim rulers, exemplified by the Ottoman Janissaries. Judar ascended to the rank of Pasha and was entrusted with leading an army. He spearheaded Morocco’s invasion of the Songhai Empire, then the largest in Africa. Despite the grueling desert march weakening his forces, Judar successfully captured the empire’s capital. The Songhai Emperor offered tribute to persuade the Moroccans to withdraw, but the Sultan rejected the offer. Judar was later replaced as commander and executed during a power struggle with a new sultan.
8. Pothinus
Pothinus was the most influential figure in Egypt during the 1st century BC. Roman sources, which harbored a cultural bias against eunuchs, often portrayed him as a villain. He is accused of turning Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII against his sister and eventual wife, Cleopatra. When Pompey the Great sought refuge in Egypt after his defeat by Caesar, he was beheaded, an act many attribute to Pothinus’ orders. Upon Caesar’s arrival in Egypt, Pothinus openly ridiculed him, demonstrating a surprising boldness for a eunuch. Although Caesar was known for tolerating mockery, as seen with the poet Catullus, he acted swiftly when Pothinus was linked to a plot against his life. Pothinus was executed, and Cleopatra was placed on the throne.
7. Sporus
Emperor Nero’s wife, Sabina, died tragically when Nero kicked her in the stomach during her pregnancy. Overcome with remorse, Nero sought to replace her by finding a young boy named Sporus, who bore a resemblance to Sabina. After having Sporus castrated, Nero married him in an extravagant ceremony in Greece, dressing him as an empress and calling him Sabina. Following Nero’s assassination, Sporus was pursued by the commander of the guards, and later by Otho, who briefly became emperor. However, his fortunes declined under Emperor Vitellius, who sought to humiliate Sporus by parading him before the public. Unwilling to endure this degradation, Sporus took his own life, believed to have been under twenty years old at the time.
6. Narses
Narses, a eunuch in the court of Byzantine Emperor Justinian the Great, remains an enigmatic figure with little known about his early life, castration, or rise to the influential role of Chamberlain. During the Nika riots, history’s most devastating sports riot, Narses was tasked with bribing the rioters into submission. His success earned him a prominent position in the military. Justinian’s ambition to reclaim Italy and Rome led to Narses taking command after General Belisarius fell out of favor. Despite lacking prior battlefield experience, Narses achieved remarkable victories and accomplished the conquest. He began his military career in his seventies and outlived Justinian, though he was later dismissed by the emperor’s successor and recalled to the east.
5. Cai Lun
The Chinese imperial system heavily relied on eunuchs, who were favored by emperors for several reasons. Eunuchs, having no possibility of founding their own dynasties, were seen as loyal and unlikely to overthrow the emperor. Taken from their families at a young age, they owed allegiance solely to their master. Cai Lun, a prominent eunuch under Emperor He (79-106 AD), played a significant role in the imperial court. At the time, the Chinese bureaucracy generated enormous amounts of paperwork, which was recorded on costly silk or bamboo strips. Recognizing the potential of paper, Cai Lun developed a method for its mass production. Although often mistakenly credited as the inventor of paper, he was instrumental in its widespread adoption. His efforts brought him fame and wealth, but after the emperor’s death, his successor sought to eliminate the influence of powerful eunuchs. Facing imprisonment, Cai Lun chose to end his life.
4. Alessandro Moreschi
Castrati were highly valued singers who retained their high-pitched voices into adulthood through castration. In settings where women were barred from singing, such as the Vatican, castrati were essential for achieving higher vocal ranges. Many boys were castrated by parents hoping for fame, though few succeeded. As societal norms shifted and women gained more public roles, the practice faded. Alessandro Moreschi, the last known castrato, left behind the only surviving recordings of a castrato’s voice, allowing us to hear their unique music today. Whether the sacrifice of his manhood for a higher voice was worthwhile remains a matter of personal judgment.
3. Admiral Zheng He
Zheng He, a prominent Chinese Imperial eunuch, gained recognition in the West through Gavin Menzies’ book *1421*. The book details Zheng He’s extensive voyages across Asia and Africa, alongside more controversial theories. Commanding the largest wooden ships ever built, Zheng He’s fleet aimed to expand Chinese influence and collect tribute from foreign lands. Over seven expeditions, he visited hundreds of kingdoms. However, a shift in imperial policy under a new emperor halted these voyages, as China turned inward. Zheng He did not witness this change, as he passed away during his final journey home.
2. Abelard
Peter Abelard (1079-1142) stands out among eunuchs as one of history’s most celebrated lovers. His romance with Heloise became legendary in the Middle Ages. A renowned logician and teacher, Abelard was hired to tutor Heloise by her uncle. Their relationship blossomed into an affair, resulting in the birth of a son and a secret marriage. Enraged, Heloise’s uncle and his accomplices broke into Abelard’s home and castrated him. Heloise was sent to a nunnery, while Abelard retreated to a monastery. Despite their separation, they exchanged heartfelt letters for the rest of their lives. These letters, more widely read than Abelard’s philosophical works, immortalized their love. The couple was eventually reunited in a shared tomb at Paris’s Pere Lachaise cemetery.
1. Origen
Origen (184-253 AD) was a prominent early church father. Following the martyrdom of his father for his Christian faith, Origen pursued advanced studies in philosophy and theology. He appears to have interpreted Matthew 19:12 with utmost seriousness.
“For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
Interpreting this passage literally, Origen castrated himself. While this account of his self-castration has been recounted since ancient times, some contemporary historians question its accuracy.
