"For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it." (Matthew 19:12) The tales of the greatest civilizations ever known to man have been built upon the shoulders of those who were no longer men. Castration has been a prominent practice throughout history, representing dedication to a higher power and the elimination of certain life pleasures. The idea may be pure in its intent, but the ramifications of mutilation created not only physical side effects but also mental and social effects that would alienate this genderless class. The eunuchs of medieval times were an interesting group of individuals who believed castration led to full dedication to a higher power. They also served the higher class society, performing a wide variety of functions in many different cultures. Some of these consisted of courtiers or equivalent domestics, others being treble singers, religious specialists, soldiers, royal guards, government officials, and guardians of women or harem servants. All of these were ways the eunuchs used to establish themselves among the people of the time. Castration for eunuchs was typically carried out without their consent in order for them to perform a specific social function, which was common in many societies....
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...Often appearing as guardians of women and children, in a culture where female chastity was highly prized and honored, eunuch males functioned as a "paternalistic" extension of the oikos to which they were attached. Having been secluded from contact with men, it was not surprising that castrated men served as guards to these aristocratic women. Eunuchs also appeared as agents, physicians, and spiritual advisers. I wanted to revisit the Bible reference I made in my introduction. Eunuchs have been around for quite some time and have been involved in many different aspects of middle life. Eunuchs were mentioned many times in the Bible, such as in the Book of Isaiah (56:4), using the word ‘saris’. It was said that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were eunuchs in Nebuchadnezzar's court. Many Bible stories actually include eunuchs, one being the story of Esther. Hegai, who was in charge of the harem, helped Esther gain the attention of King Ahasuerus. Hathach was Esther's personal servant and the lifeline between her and her cousin Mordecai (Esther 4:5). Bigthana and Teresh were close enough to Ahasuerus to threaten his life (Esther 6:2), and Harbonah was quick with a suggestion for the dispatch of Haman (Esther 7:9). They also have vital and honored roles in other stories. It was a eunuch who rescued Jeremiah from the well (Jeremiah 38:1-13). This shows how long the practice of being a eunuch has actually been prevalent in the natural world. Contrary to belief, eunuchs were not condemned for becoming a eunuch; they were actually given praise: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off" (Isaiah 56:3-5). In conclusion, the eunuchs were a unique group of individuals who struck a perfect balance between that of a servant and an aristocrat. They played a crucial role in the Middle Ages and were highly valued by the higher class. They were often asked to perform tasks that required a higher learning capacity and to mediate with the lower class outside of the emperor's kingdom. The eunuchs were indispensable to the higher class, such as the king or emperor, due to their ability to function in both the material and spiritual worlds. They were even compared to angels and were essential in the church as soloists and choral singers, with their angelic voices radiating through the walls of the church. So, why might one study or research this multifaceted group of people?
Chinese eunuchs were the original gate-keepers of the imperial palace, menial servants in the imperial harem, and messengers between the emperor, his concubines, and the imperial court. The Chinese inscriptions combing the graphs for ‘male reproductive organ’ and for ‘knife’ have been found on oracle bones dating from about 1300 BCE.1 The context of the inscriptions generally indicates that the castration of captured prisoners of differing ethnicities existed at this early date.2 The word for eunuch, taijan , often connotating a pervert, first appeared in the Chinese language about one thousand years ago.3 Eunuchs were deemed suitable candidates for the emperor’s close aides and attendants because they possessed both a masculine physique and a feminine docility. More important, however, was the use of men deprived from their reproductive power and sexual desires was thought to safeguard the moral purity and sanctity of an emperor’s private chambers.4 Throughout the three-thousand year old institution, the number of eunuchs in the imperial palaces varied between less than 100 in the early years, to more than 100,000 in 1620, roughly 1% of the population.5 The extent, role, and nature of the eunuch presence in Chinese history varied according to specific social and political backgrounds throughout the long existence of the political institution, but identifying some recurring themes of eunuch activities is useful towards reconstructing the social history of eunuchism in China. It is apparent, however, that as imperial power and autocracy increased, the use of castrated men to fill various male jobs in the palace gradually became a necessity.
This paper will discuss the well published work of, Pomeroy, Sarah B. Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity. New York: Schocken, 1975. Print. Sarah B. Pomerory uses this book to educate others about the role women have played throughout ancient history. Pomerory uses a timeline to go through each role, starting with mythological women, who were called Goddesses. She then talks about some common roles, the whores, wives, and slaves during this time. Pomerory enlightens the audience on the topic of women, who were seen as nothing at the time. Men were seen as the only crucial part in history; however, Pomerory’s focus on women portrays the era in a new light.
Most classical society’s political and social organization revolved around the idea of patriarchy, a male dominated social system. This system exacerbated the inherit difference between men and woman and assigned gender roles based on these observations. Men were generally regarded as superior to woman therefore given greater religious and political roles as well as more legal rights. As the natural inverse, women were subordinated and seen as week; their main roles reproductive and domestic. Information about patriarchy in the classical era, though abundant, was, for the most part, written by men, therefore history does not give us an accurate depiction of women’s viewpoints. Four societies of the classical era, India, China, Greece, and Rome, adopted a patriarchal system, however, due to many factors, each developed identifiable characteristics.
The Middle Ages was a time when women were supposed to be models of virtue, yet they acted contrary to such beliefs. As young women, they were supposed to strive for perfection and protect their virginity (Bardsley 96-97). In reality, women were often free with their virtues, and according to Francis and Joseph Gies, “The chastity of women was eternally suspect in the eyes of canonists, who perceived them as ever eager for sexual gratification.” Women were presented with conflicting messages when told that they were sources of evil, but were also told they were to exemplify the model of Mary (Bardsley 172) By modeling Mary, women were to be virtuous and holy and not self-seeking. However, women were far from this model of Mary, and they received little respect from men. Men dominated women, and they never escaped male control. As girls, their fathers controlled them, and later in life they were subject to their husbands (McLean and Singman 24). Because of this, women were seen as scandalous if they attempted to obtain power, money, or land.
The sexual lifestyle of women during the medieval time period was quite different among married and single women. Medieval women were not accurately informed of their sexual organs due to bad medical research. They thought they must perform sexual acts on a regular basis to preserve themselves. The third-century writer Galen was looked upon as an authority for medical information on sexual activities. Galen stated that, “a woman’s womb was ‘cold’ and needed constant warming by ‘hot’ sperm” (Time Traveler’s 55). One would assume that hu...
Women in antiquity did not have an easy lot in life. They had few, if any, rights. Surviving early records of the civilizations of antiquity from ancient Greece, Egypt, China, and Rome suggest the diversity of women’s roles differed little from region to region. There were a few exceptions, mostly concerning women of nobility and the city-state of Sparta. Excluding the rare instances mentioned most antique women were generally limited on education, mobility, and almost all possibilities interfering with domestic or childbearing responsibilities. The limited social roles of women in antiquity suggest the perceived c...
Apparently, these male-defined concepts and stringent regulations imposed heavier penalties for women than men because women were mandated with the heaviest burden of keeping their honor. Central to the concept of honor was a woman’s need to keep their virginity intact otherwise she would be ostracized by the society. A woman who preserved her virginity was held with honor and esteem because she proved superior to her peers (Lavrin 11). Virginity in itself was a highly esteem social quality worth keeping (Lavrin 11).
The ancient Chinese custom of footbinding caused severe life-long suffering for the Chinese women involved. When researching the subject of footbinding, one of the difficult things is finding factual knowledge written before the 20th century. Most of the historical data has been gathered from writings, drawings and photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries. Additionally, the research indicates that the historical documentation was mainly from missionary accounts and literature from various anti-footbinding societies. These groups had a bias because of their opposing viewpoints. The first documented reference to footbinding was from the Southern Tang Dynasty in Nanjing (Vento 1).
At the same time, women were repressed in their sexual feelings and were subject to their husband’s demands. If an unmarried woman had sexual relations, she would be dishonored, thrown into exile or even killed. Horrible experiments sought often to find ways of getting rid of any pleasure women would experience during intercourse.
These three articles give the modern reader a sense of what sexuality was in Ancient Rome. These articles reinforce that sexuality is important in human societies. They show that how you did or did not do sexual activity was very important and under scrutiny like in Western societies today. Though these articles are using limited resources to make conclusions, they do their best to help the reader make sense of sexual Roman society.
In the Persian Letters, Baron de Montesquieu explores the various methods of controlling women in both the Persian harem and in French society. In Persia, women are confined to a seraglio and have many of their liberties striped. Throughout the letters, we see a justification for why these women have to be locked up and watched by eunuchs. Persian men have to preserve the women’s virtue because if they do not, their wives will become immoral just like the French women. “That our women belong to us too absolutely; that possession obtained so easily leaves no scope for hope or fear; that a little coquetry, like salt, stimulates the appetite, and prevents corruption” (Letter 38). The Parisian women are not free from control either because in
Richlin, Amy (ed). (1992). Pornography and Representation in Greece and Rome. New York: Oxford University Press.
Vivante, B., Women's Roles in Ancient Civilizations, A Reference Guide; Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut • London, England,
...ed to “Greater Learning for Women” (Document 11). Women in those times weren’t allowed to go to school or learn. In some cases they couldn’t own property or go anywhere without their husbands. There were many different things that boys were allowed to do, but girls weren’t. For example, the Document states, “The great lifelong duty of a woman is obedience….When the husband issues his instructions, the wife must never disobey them. In a doubtful case, she should inquire of her husband and obediently follow his commands…. A woman should look upon her husband as if he were Heaven itself, and never weary of thinking how she may yield to her husband and thus escape celestial castigation.” Obviously, this was very different from the mortality book taught how to treat boys. Even though these Documents are very different in topic, they can be compared in many ways.
Fausto-Sterling, Anne. Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality. NY: Basic Books, 2000.