The Conversation When people think of eunuchs, someone like Lord Varys from Game of Thrones often springs to mind. Chubby, obsequious and a flatterer, he is involved in court intrigues and manipulates people and events behind the scenes. These traits oppose military prowess and valor endorsed by traditional models of masculinity across various times and cultures. According to those tropes, a eunuch’s weapon is the whisper, not the sword. In reality, not every eunuch in the ancient world was a servile, cloistered being. In fact, eunuchs sometimes led armies on campaign, and were entrusted with high-level administrative tasks. The Nine Unknown Men: An Ancient Indian Secret Society Famous and Powerful Eunuchs of the Ancient World The character of Varys in the Game of Thrones series typifies what many people think of when they think of eunuchs. (Photograph by Helen Sloan/HBO/The Conversation) What was a Eunuch? A eunuch was someone whose testicles had been deliberately crushed or excised. Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyHistoryFamous PeopleRead Later