Gelding: a eunuch.[1]
Concerning those who choose willingly to suffer this impudent and impure manner of thought and action Cyril the Great proclaims and publicizes as follows: for those wretches do this because of their impudence, while yet being men they want to experience the same things as women. For, altering their nature on account of nothing good or even because of insolence, they often gladly destroy their god-shaped and man-befitting form; or, being compelled by others to endure this, they then become like plagues on nature, like enemies of their race, and like stains on the state, and like detractors of life. Prostituting themselves immoderately in the manner of maenads, they dance about amidst the most shameful passions and mix their wretched life together with a defiled and corrupted state by wearing about their dubious and hated faces and their bastardized thing.[2] Let them keep far away from the holy precincts. For, when with most shameful and worst judgement they alter and change good and divine work into a bad and misconstrued doctrine and force the spiritual state of being a "eunuch" to serve a forbidden act, they are not only worthy to be assigned punishment by legal decree but also in accord with angelic and apostolic denial to be driven off utterly into the so called outer darkness. For Moses spoke concerning this kind of people, "He whose testicles have been crushed or cut off shall not enter into the house of the Lord." It is indeed possible to see homes full of grandees of such fine-formed faces sporting golden collars on their throats, having a male's nature but a female's appearance and walking about effeminately and talking wantonly just as improperly as courtesans. They even go so far as to toss their hair[3] and laugh uncontrolledly and shamelessly, making a show of their manifest passion. Therefore, with men they, like women, go to bed passively and through their effeminate intercourse are corrupted, but with women they, like guards and semblances of moderation--I suppose--, sleep unashamedly and unblushingly commit their shameful acts. And these persons, being so corrupted and effeminate under the influence of unholy and profane men, both defile and are defiled through their unnatural unholy actions and their disgusting behavior. And they being wretched agitated little women, as I said, befoul and cause harm through their sins just like mad dogs. And thence what is worse is that they become guilty as both supporters and associates of unbounded chastisement, by both corrupting and being corrupted.[4] But O for stupidity, O for deceit and derangement! For men even particularly point them out and accept them as wise so that they trust them and live with them. They then, being allowed to live together and taking license, lay traps bit by bit for wise men who really practice virtue justly and cast these men down pitifully into the shameful pit of Sodom and send them unto the eternal fire. Wherefore, for the future it is altogether fitting that the law and the gospel and the best life and the pious state all loathe them as god-haters and impure. For these have preferred and desired such a detestable life, as far as it is in their power, that they have destroyed cities by disrupting the life-giving purpose of their nature and by being corrupted, and they have terribly wasted manly strength and youth and masculine and noble might, and in short by outraging the intense and burgeoning pinnacle of puberty they have made their captives clearly wretched and ridiculous. These people should be avoided and justly loathed as soul-killers and body-corrupters and cursed and counterfeiters of nature. For nothing is more truly abominable or impure than those who thus give and receive fornication. For, as we have accurately learned, not only the geldings who somehow retain their parts for shameful acts but, in fact, even those who are perfectly cut and castrated are accustomed to being immeasurably wanton and to being shamelessly and insatiably licentious. Indeed, as with those who are born lacking these parts—-alas for the utter absurdity and derangement of it—-these unholy fellows are accustomed to corrupt wretched women with their hands and their fingers and to accomplish their unholy works so perversely. And, indicating this, the wise man once clearly said: "And blessed is the eunuch, which with his hands hath wrought no iniquity"[5] and the virgin "which hath not known the sinful bed."[6] Therefore, they have fittingly been called neither female nor male but rather men-women, iron-condemned,[7] and woman-crazy. Therefore, those who wrongly suppose these to be pure and wise men should listen and not trust the lie and their counterfeit purity and wisdom. For how shall purification come from impurity and how shall truth come from a lie?[8]
And[9] if only the eunuch[10] who was ordained had been affected through a holy life, and his evil were only half-evil. But, in fact, he was an earthworm, glutton, lady-crazy, reckless, drunken, fornicating, venal, low-class, greedy, and iron-condemned[11] even in birth, unmale, unfemale, crazed fellow who often[12] lifted the theatre girls up on his shoulders at drinking parties fit for satyrs and, with his head wreathed in ivy, carried the drinking bowl in hand and served the wine in a costume of the mythical Dionysus.[13]
So he is chaste without having to work for it[14] because of the knife, but he is mad without being able to produce anything[15] through his personal deformity.
And the plural [is] 'geldings'.
[It is said that][16] under Eutropius, Emperor Theodosius' chamberlain, eunuchs as a class increased and grew so great in number because of his importance and power that then even some of those who already had beards wanted to become eunuchs-—and hoped even more to become Eutropiuses—-and were deprived of their life along with their testicles—-and lost Eutropius.[17] He set up gold statues everywhere, and raised up buildings and furnished them more augustly thoughout the whole city.[18]