Скачать или смотреть The Eunuchs of Byzantium: Power Without a Crown

Eunuchs played a unique and powerful role in the Byzantine court. Castrated as boys, they were seen as trustworthy since they couldn’t father dynasties—but their loyalty often lay with intrigue and ambition.

They served as palace officials, military commanders, and even advisors to emperors. One of the most infamous was the cunning eunuch Joseph Bringas, chief minister under Emperor Romanos II. Bringas wielded immense power, but his political scheming led to his downfall when General Nikephoros Phokas ousted him.

Eunuchs thrived in court politics because they navigated between the emperor, the empress, and rival factions without the threat of succession.

Their influence symbolized the Byzantine blending of tradition and pragmatism—a society where even those deprived of traditional power could rise to the heights of imperial intrigue.

The Eunuchs of Byzantium: Power Without a Crown