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eunuch
eunuch [Gr.,=keeper of the couch], castrated human male, particularly a chamberlain of a harem in Asia. The custom of employing eunuchs as servants in wealthy or royal households is very ancient; it reached its epitome at the court of Constantinople under the Byzantine emperors, from whom the Ottom...
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Candace
Candace , title for queens in ancient Ethiopia. One of them made war (c.22 BC) on the Roman governor of Egypt, who defeated her and destroyed Napata, her capital. Another Candace is mentioned in the Bible as the queen of the eunuch converted by Philip (Acts 8.27-39).
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Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer 1939-, Australian feminist and writer. She moved to England (1964), earned a Ph.D. from Cambridge, and taught at the Univ. of Warwick (1967-73). Her book The Female Eunuch (1970), an analysis of attitudes toward women and a call for an end to sexual repression, made her a leading s...
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Narses
Narses , c.478-c.573, Byzantine official and general, one of the eunuchs of the palace. He assisted in the suppression of the Nika riot (532) by bribing the Blues of the Circus (see Blues and Greens ) to return their allegiance to Justinian I . In 538 he was sent to Italy to cooperate with Belisa...
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harem
harem [Arabic], term applied to women's apartments in a Muslim household. In the ancient Arab world women enjoyed a certain amount of freedom. However, with the advent of Islam, the veiling and seclusion of women into harems became more common. The most famous harem, that of the sultans of Turkey, ...
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soprano
soprano [Ital.,=above], female voice of highest pitch. The three basic types of solo soprano are coloratura, lyric, and dramatic. The coloratura has a great range and impressive vocal agility; the lyric soprano has a light, pretty voice; and the dramatic soprano has a sustained power suitable for o...
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Bornu
Bornu , former Muslim state, mostly in NE Nigeria, extending S and W of Lake Chad. It began its existence as a separate state in the late 14th cent. From the 14th to the 18th cent. Bornu exported slaves, eunuchs, fabrics dyed with saffron, and other goods to N Africa. Bornu reached its peak under th...
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Darius III
Darius III (Darius Codomannus) , d. 330 BC, king of ancient Persia (336-330 BC). A cousin of Artaxerxes III, he was raised to the throne by the eunuch Bagoas, who had murdered both Artaxerxes and his son, Arses; Darius in turn murdered Bagoas. His rule was not stable, however. When Alexander the ...
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Yung-lo
Yung-lo , 1359-1424, reign title of the 3d emperor (1403-24) of the Chinese Ming dynasty, whose personal name was Chu Ti. He rose to power in N China after being delegated by his father, the Ming founding emperor Hung Wu (reigned 1368-98), to lead the fight against the retreating Mongols. He usurp...
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Cheng Ho
Cheng Ho or Zheng He , 1371-c.1433, admiral, diplomat, and explorer during China's Ming dynasty. At 10 he was captured by Chinese troops in Yunnan, castrated, and sent into the army. He rose in the ranks, became an officer, and in 1404 was named Grand Eunuch by Emperor Yung-lo . The following...
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