This chapter examines two legal provisions concerning eunuchs issued during the reign of Basil II (976–1025). While legislation directly addressing eunuchs is sparse, one novel from 996 targeted the accumulation of land by the dynatoi, which may have included some eunuchs. This novel also represented a challenge to the influence of the emperor’s great-uncle, the eunuch Basil Lekapenos, who had already been deposed from the imperial court. The second provision, found in the mid-eleventh-century Peira, prevented bequeathing an inheritance to eunuchs, highlighting a rare legal stance on their property rights. These decisions, though brief and isolated compared to the systematic legislative output of Leo VI, are significant for understanding Byzantine imperial attitudes towards eunuchs. As there was no broader legal reform project under Basil II, the chapter situates these laws within their socio-political context. Through comparison with earlier laws and non-legal sources, the analysis suggests these novels reflect concern over the increasing presence of native-born eunuchs. The chapter ultimately argues that these decisions may indicate a growing imperial unease with their prominence, a trend culminating in the mid-eleventh century with the rise of powerful eunuch figures like John the orphanotrophos.

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Two Decisions of Basil II on Property of Eunuchs

  • Yuki Kontani

摘要

This chapter examines two legal provisions concerning eunuchs issued during the reign of Basil II (976–1025). While legislation directly addressing eunuchs is sparse, one novel from 996 targeted the accumulation of land by the dynatoi, which may have included some eunuchs. This novel also represented a challenge to the influence of the emperor’s great-uncle, the eunuch Basil Lekapenos, who had already been deposed from the imperial court. The second provision, found in the mid-eleventh-century Peira, prevented bequeathing an inheritance to eunuchs, highlighting a rare legal stance on their property rights. These decisions, though brief and isolated compared to the systematic legislative output of Leo VI, are significant for understanding Byzantine imperial attitudes towards eunuchs. As there was no broader legal reform project under Basil II, the chapter situates these laws within their socio-political context. Through comparison with earlier laws and non-legal sources, the analysis suggests these novels reflect concern over the increasing presence of native-born eunuchs. The chapter ultimately argues that these decisions may indicate a growing imperial unease with their prominence, a trend culminating in the mid-eleventh century with the rise of powerful eunuch figures like John the orphanotrophos.