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Description
Basil Lekapenos was a powerful eunuch and ruler of Byzantine empire. He was an illegitimate son of the Byzantine emperor Romanos I Lekapenos who served as the parakoimomenos and chief minister of the Byzantine Empire for most of the period 947–985, under emperors Constantine VII, Nikephoros II Phokas, John I Tzimiskes, and Basil II.
His mother was a slave woman of "Scythian" (possibly Bulgarians) origin.
Psellos characterized him as the most remarkable person in the Roman empire," outstanding in intellect, bodily stature, and regal in appearance."

Basil was not only a talented politician, but also a good warrior, who participated in several famous and glorious battles.

"In 958, he led troops to the East to reinforce the general (and future emperor) John Tzimiskes in his campaign against the Arabs: the Byzantines stormed Samosata and inflicted a heavy defeat on a relief army under the Hamdanid emir of Aleppo, Sayf al-Dawla.

He was at Constantine VII's side during his final days, and was the one who wrapped his corpse with its burial shroud.

Upon his accession, Romanos II dismissed him and favoured another official, Joseph Bringas, instead, who assumed Basil's positions of paradynasteuon, protos, and parakoimomenos. This began a fierce rivalry and even hatred between the two men.
Basil remained on the sidelines for the duration of the reign, but when Romanos died in early 963, his sons Basil II and Constantine VIII were underage, and a struggle for the throne erupted. Basil sided with the distinguished general Nikephoros Phokas against Bringas. Basil armed his numerous attendants—some 3,000 according to the sources—and with the urban mob attacked Bringas and his supporters and seized control of the city and the ports. Bringas sought sanctuary in the Hagia Sophia, while Basil mobilized the imperial dromon and other vessels to Chrysopolis, where Phokas awaited with his army. Phokas entered the city, and was crowned senior emperor as guardian of Romanos II's young sons. As a reward for his role in Phokas' elevation to the throne, Basil was restored to his old post as parakoimomenos and received the new exalted rank of proedros (fully proedros tes Synkletou, "president of the Senate"). The elevation to this office involved a special ceremony, included in the De ceremoniis, and possibly written or edited by Basil himself.

According to the contemporary historian Leo the Deacon, Basil was a close friend of Tzimiskes, but it may also be that Basil's support for this coup was an effort to safeguard the position and rights of his nephews Basil II and Constantine VIII, as a continuation of the Phokas regime would likely have seen Leo Phokas succeed his brother.
Basil helped the new emperor get rid of Phokas' supporters and relatives. He also assisted in the retirement of Romanos II's and Phokas' widow, Theophano.
Under Tzimiskes, Basil played a leading role in the governance of the state, especially in the fiscal administration, while Tzimiskes himself was more concerned with foreign policy and his military campaigns.
Basil himself took part in the great campaign against the Rus' in Bulgaria in 971, having been entrusted with the reserve forces, the baggage train and the supply arrangements, while Tzimiskes himself with his elite troops marched ahead."
— Wikipedia

His enormous wealth enabled Basil to become, according to the Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, "one of the most lavish Byzantine art patrons".

About eunuchs' appearance in Byzantium.
"Another possible explanation can also be derived from physiognomy, though coining to adverse conclusion. The handsome eunuch, whose physical beauty reflects the beauty of his soul, is a common subject in writings from the early Byzantine period. The vision of the luminous beauty of eunuchs, associated with purity and the soul's beauty, finds an important development in relation to angels, resulting in eunuchophilia. Eunuchs and angels are both royal messengers and they both introduce dignitaries to the sovereign. A dream-interpreting work, dated from the ninth to the eleventh centuries, indicates that if one dreams of a gracious and tall eunuch, the eunuch should be considered an angel, because a eunuch resembles an angel an being pure and does not feel carnal desire (Drexl 1925:10)."

As he [Andrew] sat on the ground in front of the gateway there came a young eunuch who was the chamberlain of one of the nobles.
His face was like a rose, the skin of his body white as snow, he was well shaped, fair-haired, possessing an unusual softness, and smelling of musk from afar.
[Another variant: beautiful young eunuch, with blond hair (epixanthos), a face like a rose and a body white like snow]
-- Life of St Andrew the Fool.

Art by Deva.

Description
Basil Lekapenos was a powerful eunuch and ruler of Byzantine empire. He was an illegitimate son of the Byzantine emperor Romanos I Lekapenos who served as the parakoimomenos and chief minister of the Byzantine Empire for most of the period 947–985, under emperors Constantine VII, Nikephoros II Phokas, John I Tzimiskes, and Basil II.
His mother was a slave woman of "Scythian" (possibly Bulgarians) origin.
Psellos characterized him as the most remarkable person in the Roman empire," outstanding in intellect, bodily stature, and regal in appearance."

Basil was not only a talented politician, but also a good warrior, who participated in several famous and glorious battles.

"In 958, he led troops to the East to reinforce the general (and future emperor) John Tzimiskes in his campaign against the Arabs: the Byzantines stormed Samosata and inflicted a heavy defeat on a relief army under the Hamdanid emir of Aleppo, Sayf al-Dawla.

He was at Constantine VII's side during his final days, and was the one who wrapped his corpse with its burial shroud.

Upon his accession, Romanos II dismissed him and favoured another official, Joseph Bringas, instead, who assumed Basil's positions of paradynasteuon, protos, and parakoimomenos. This began a fierce rivalry and even hatred between the two men.
Basil remained on the sidelines for the duration of the reign, but when Romanos died in early 963, his sons Basil II and Constantine VIII were underage, and a struggle for the throne erupted. Basil sided with the distinguished general Nikephoros Phokas against Bringas. Basil armed his numerous attendants—some 3,000 according to the sources—and with the urban mob attacked Bringas and his supporters and seized control of the city and the ports. Bringas sought sanctuary in the Hagia Sophia, while Basil mobilized the imperial dromon and other vessels to Chrysopolis, where Phokas awaited with his army. Phokas entered the city, and was crowned senior emperor as guardian of Romanos II's young sons. As a reward for his role in Phokas' elevation to the throne, Basil was restored to his old post as parakoimomenos and received the new exalted rank of proedros (fully proedros tes Synkletou, "president of the Senate"). The elevation to this office involved a special ceremony, included in the De ceremoniis, and possibly written or edited by Basil himself.

According to the contemporary historian Leo the Deacon, Basil was a close friend of Tzimiskes, but it may also be that Basil's support for this coup was an effort to safeguard the position and rights of his nephews Basil II and Constantine VIII, as a continuation of the Phokas regime would likely have seen Leo Phokas succeed his brother.
Basil helped the new emperor get rid of Phokas' supporters and relatives. He also assisted in the retirement of Romanos II's and Phokas' widow, Theophano.
Under Tzimiskes, Basil played a leading role in the governance of the state, especially in the fiscal administration, while Tzimiskes himself was more concerned with foreign policy and his military campaigns.
Basil himself took part in the great campaign against the Rus' in Bulgaria in 971, having been entrusted with the reserve forces, the baggage train and the supply arrangements, while Tzimiskes himself with his elite troops marched ahead."
— Wikipedia

His enormous wealth enabled Basil to become, according to the Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, "one of the most lavish Byzantine art patrons".

About eunuchs' appearance in Byzantium.
"Another possible explanation can also be derived from physiognomy, though coining to adverse conclusion. The handsome eunuch, whose physical beauty reflects the beauty of his soul, is a common subject in writings from the early Byzantine period. The vision of the luminous beauty of eunuchs, associated with purity and the soul's beauty, finds an important development in relation to angels, resulting in eunuchophilia. Eunuchs and angels are both royal messengers and they both introduce dignitaries to the sovereign. A dream-interpreting work, dated from the ninth to the eleventh centuries, indicates that if one dreams of a gracious and tall eunuch, the eunuch should be considered an angel, because a eunuch resembles an angel an being pure and does not feel carnal desire (Drexl 1925:10)."

As he [Andrew] sat on the ground in front of the gateway there came a young eunuch who was the chamberlain of one of the nobles.
His face was like a rose, the skin of his body white as snow, he was well shaped, fair-haired, possessing an unusual softness, and smelling of musk from afar.
[Another variant: beautiful young eunuch, with blond hair (epixanthos), a face like a rose and a body white like snow]
-- Life of St Andrew the Fool.

Art by Deva.