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Male Castration in History

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Urogenital Trauma: A Practical Guide

Abstract

Male genital amputation or castration has been widely performed since the dawn of time, especially in the ancient peri-Mediterranean civilizations for multiple reasons: Weakening the enemies, punishing for misconduct, preparing young boys for future specific professions (harem guardians, singers…) or for sexual objectification. Three varieties of eunuchs were recognized in antiquity: (1) Castrati, clean-cut, both penis and testicles were removed; (2) Spadones, testicles only were removed; and (3) Thlibiae, testicles were bruised and/or crushed [1–3]. Only ancient sub-Saharan Africa and pre-Columbian America seem to be spared by this phenomenon possibly due to underreporting.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, The Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman

    Said Abdallah AL-Mamari

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AL-Mamari, S.A. (2023). Male Castration in History. In: Urogenital Trauma: A Practical Guide. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6171-9_50

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6171-9_50

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