The Roman Castrati: Eunuchs in the Roman Empire

As the Roman empire pushed eastwards, it met foreign courts that used eunuchs as attendants, religious figures and teachers. At first the practice seemed alien and unacceptable in Rome, but its use grew as the emperors came to power.

Shaun Tougher approaches the subject through people rather than abstract theory. He discusses Sporus, the young lover of Nero, and Eutropius, who became consul. He also looks at Favorinus, an orator who was a free citizen despite being a eunuch, and at Narses, a eunuch who led the reconquest of Italy under Justinian I.

Through these figures the book explores castration, sexuality, bondage and the uses of political power. Bloomsbury USA Academic published it in 2022. It runs to 217 pages. ISBN-13: 9781350188235.