Eunuchs would usually be servants or slaves who had been castrated to make them less threatening servants of a royal court where physical access to the ruler could wield great influence. Similar instances are reflected in the humble origins and etymology of many high offices. Eunuchs supposedly did not generally have loyalties to the military, the aristocracy, or a family of their own having neither offspring nor in-laws, at the very least.
They were thus seen as more trustworthy and less interested in establishing a private dynasty. Because their condition usually lowered their social status, they could also be easily replaced or killed without repercussion. In cultures that had both harems and eunuchs, eunuchs were sometimes used as harem servants. Eunuchs have been documented in several ancient and medieval societies, including the Byzantine Empire, Imperial China, the Ottoman Empire, and various Middle Eastern cultures.
They often held significant power and influence in these societies, particularly in royal courts and harems. The earliest surviving etymology of the word is from late antiquity.
In the late 12th century, Eustathius of Thessalonica Commentaries on Homer In translations of the Bible into modern European languages, such as the Luther Bible or the King James Bible , the word eunuchs as found in the Latin Vulgate is usually rendered as an officer, official or chamberlain, consistent with the idea that the original meaning of eunuch was bed-keeper Orion's first option.
Modern religious scholars have been disinclined to assume that the courts of Israel and Judah included castrated men, [ 19 ] even though the original translation of the Bible into Greek used the word eunoukhos. Still, Vossius notes the alternative etymologies offered by Eustathius "deprived of mating" and others "having the mind in a good state" , calling these analyses "quite subtle".
