The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified? Page: 8
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possibility of actually becoming the emperor himself, yet it was a savvy political move for the
boy in itself, since he could from then on directly participate in the exercise of power. Abbott's A
History of Celibacy details the distinct political advantages that a eunuch would have over a
normal man:
The great advantage of eunuchs was their inability to procreate, which meant they would
never be driven by ambitions for their children. Isolated from their human families, who
could never enter the palace, they could turn to the emperor as the family they would
never have. For these reasons, they seemed more trustworthy in affairs of state.....As not-
quite men, eunuchs seemed appropriate buffers between citizens and the emperor, a
divinity who could not have contact with ordinary humans lest they notice that he, too,
was an ordinary man. (Abbott 1999)
Issues that generally could be the cause mistrust in this type of situation such as promiscuity and
thievery simply were not as serious for a eunuch. He could possibly have a few affairs with the
female inhabitants of the harem he guarded, but there would be no embarrassing pregnancies that
could cause shame or create offspring that might later attempt to advance in the palace. Since
eunuchs had no possibility of extending their own family tree, the political realm and atmosphere
of the palace became a type of family for these gelded youth. Crimes such as embezzlement
which are generally considered quite serious tended to be much more overlooked for a castrato,
since his primary concern would be merely for his own well being, as he would have no familial
legacy to protect or maintain other than the emperor's himself (Rosselli 1992).
Becoming a eunuch did not at all mean emasculation. Quite the contrary, it meant a much
better possibility of rising to great power, even since ancient times (Scholz 2001). This raises the
question: why did the musical world adopt the process of castration? The answer lies in the
religious, political and musical climate of the time. The primary center for castrato singers was
Italy, particularly Naples. There is evidence of the existence of castrati singers as early as the
12th century in Constantinople, but the period in which they most publicly flourished and were
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Sowle, Jennifer. The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified?, thesis, August 2006; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5343/m1/11/: accessed May 13, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .