Torturous tools aided in the act of castration.
All societies define a eunuch as a castrated male. Castration generally refers to cutting off the testicles, but also may mean removal of the penis. Castration most often occurs before puberty.
Significance
Males who do not have testicles cannot father children. The word "eunuch" originates from Greek for "bed guard," which defines the role of these males. According to Dr. Rob Hardy, "Eunuchs promoted the harem system because a dominant man could thereby ensure that his harem would bear only his children."
History
Religious fanatics sometimes indulged in self-inflicted castration as an act of self mortification. Forced castration marked the slave. Some males voluntarily allowed castration as a road to achieve wealth. During the Baroque period, castrati played the female role in operas and the high register in chorale music because females were forbidden to do so.
Famous Eunuchs
Ts'ai Lun, a scholar from the Chinese Han dynasty, invented paper in 705 AD. Eunuchs, including Shu Diao, Zhao Gao and Wang LiShi, undermined Chinese emperors to varying degrees, creating political havoc. Opera singer Farinelli was likely the most famous castrati.
