提 要：宦官是亚述国王加强王权、维护统治的重要工具。随着帝国政治、经济的发展，宦官在亚述宫廷的地位和作用不断增加。帝国早期，随着战争的频繁发生，大将军等职业将领开始控制军队和所领行省，对王权构成了严重的威胁。国王遂重用身边的宦官总管，而宦官掌管的国王卫队逐渐发展、壮大，宦官开始成为制衡将领们的重要政治力量。帝国盛期，更多的宦官出任军队统帅和行省总督，以宦官总管为代表的新兴贵族与以大将军等为代表的世袭贵族形成相互制约，政权基本稳定。对外扩张取得的空前胜利使宦官集团和亚述贵族们掌握大量土地资源。帝国晚期，国力下降，政局混乱，宦官总管一度控制了政权。最后，宦官集团和亚述帝国一起退出历史舞台。

关键词：亚述帝国；宦官；政治角色

Title: The Status and Role of Eunuchs in the Assyrian Empire

Author:Guo Honggeng, Associate Research Fellow, Institute of the World History, Chinese Academy of Social

Sciences, Beijing, 100006, China.

Abstract: Eunuchs were an important tool for the Assyrian kings to strengthen their kingship and safeguard their power. With the development of the Assyrian politics and economy, the role of eunuchs became more and more important. In the early period, with the frequent breaking out of the wars, the traditional noble group represented by the chief commander (turtanu) controlled the Assyrian compulsory servicemen, and weakened the king’s power. The kings put their eunuchs in important positions, the squad of bodyguards became standing army, and eunuchs acted as powerful generals to restrict the traditional power. In the early Assyrian empire, the eunuchs played an important role in the troops and provinces, and limited the power

of the hereditary aristocrats, so the Assyrian power was kept stable and its expansion was unprecedented. In the late Assyrian empire, the eunuchs monopolized regime, expanded their economic power and became a fuse for the political chaos during that period.

Key words:Assyrian Empire; Eunuchs; Political Roles