Cambridge Ancient Hi.. - Index of

the court: the human element 153
Table 2. Some prominent eunuch careers
Eunuch First attestation Last attestation Years of activity
Michael–Misael 95
470 537 67
Urbicius PSC 434/449 505/6 57�
Narses 1 PSC 530 (sacellarius) 573/4 43�
Lauricius PSC before 423 443/4 21�
Romanus 3 431 451 20
Narses 4 spath. 565 (spatharius) about 581 16�
Lausus PSC 420 (PSC) 436 16�
Antiochus before 408 about 421 13�
Artaxes 442 (PSC) 451 9�
Chrysaphius about 441 450 9
Scholasticius 422 431 9
Note:
N.B.: the dignity in parentheses is that held at the earliest attestation; the last attestation
may include retirement.
As Cyril of Alexandria’s bribes suggest, chamberlains acquired fabulous
wealth, some of which flowed into spectacular palaces like those of Lausus
and Antiochus and some into religious enterprises. The eunuchs’ religious
zeal created privileged links between the court and the new urban or suburban
monastic movements, and they constantly crop up in the Lives of
holy men associated with the court. Lacking the progeny to whom other
late Romans might turn, the eunuchs were early and active in founding or
endowing monasteries which provided for their retirement, burial and perpetual
prayer. Thus, Valentinian III’s chamberlain Lauricius constructed a
splendid tomb for himself in a monastery attached to the church of St
Laurence, about six hundred metres outside the main gate to the palace
quarter of Ravenna. Narses constructed a monastery in Bithynia for his
eventual retirement: though he died on duty in Italy, his body was returned
home and buried in his monastery by the sovereigns themselves. 96
The grand chamberlain was in charge of the court ushers, the thirty silentiaries,
who wielded golden wands to ensure quiet and order during the ceremonies
which constituted court routine. Their status and visibility were
fairly high: they entered the imperial senate on retirement, and if Anastasius
is any example, tall stature and dignified mien may have been part of the
requirements for this post. In any case, personal association with the throne
favoured chamberlains and silentiaries alike as personal emissaries who
could forcefully represent an emperor’s interest in problems arising in the
95 PLRE ii s.v. Michael 1; iii s.v. Misael.
96 Deichmann (1976–89) ii.2.336–40; John Eph. HE iii.1.39.
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