Eileithyia in Greek tradition
Bringing children to the light, Eileithyia presided over childbirth and the dangers of labour. She could help or hinder delivery, and her name was also used in the plural for divine beings who aided or obstructed birth. In Homer, Hera restrained her from helping Alcmene, while later accounts describe active hindrance. Unlike Artemis, with whom she was sometimes identified, Eileithyia’s specific office is childbirth rather than the wider identity of the virgin hunt goddess.
The quick answers
Who is Eileithyia?
Eileithyia is a Greek deity associated with childbirth and delivery, labor pains and birth pangs, women in labor, safe delivery, the birth of children.Source
Source
- The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)
- Classical Mythology a to Z
- Light and Darkness in Ancient Greek Myth and Religion
What is Eileithyia the god of?
childbirth and delivery, labor pains and birth pangs, women in labor, safe delivery, the birth of childrenSource
Source
- The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)
What family links are recorded for Eileithyia?
Father: Zeus, Mother: Hera.
Eileithyia’s family, at a glance
Parents above, children below, and the figure’s consorts named in between, the same family data as the fact box, laid out as a chart instead of a field list.
The names Eileithyia answers to
Ilithyia
Latinized form of Eileithyia's name
SourceClassical Mythology a to Z
Eleuthyia
Alternate Greek form of the name
SourceThe Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)
Eileithuia
Alternate transliteration of the Greek name
SourceThe Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)
Lochia
The birth goddess or goddess of childbirth
SourceLight and Darkness in Ancient Greek Myth and Religion
The myths of Eileithyia
1 myth, each traced to its primary text and corpus sources.
The Birth of Eileithyia
Hera gave birth to Eileithyia. Eileithyia became the divine power over labour and childbirth. She ruled the moment when a child came into the light, and her presence decided whether the birth went forward or was delayed.
Eileithyia brought children into the light and saved them from black night. She dispensed light and splendid-limbed Hebe. Through these powers, she watched over childbirth and guarded children as they passed from darkness into life.
The name Eileithyia also belonged to divine beings who helped or hindered childbirth. In one telling, Hera restrained the Eileithyiai from helping Alcmene. Zeus had declared that the descendant of Perseus who was about to be born would become king of Mycenae. Hera, acting from jealousy, persuaded the Eileithyiai to delay Alcmene’s delivery, while she arranged for Eurystheus, the son of Sthenelus, to be born after seven months. In later tellings, the Eileithyiai took a more active part and hindered the birth themselves.
Eileithyia was also identified with Artemis. Artemis held powers over danger and healing, virginity and childbearing. Under names such as Lochia, Eulochia, Geneteira and Soodina, she watched over childbirth. As Eileithyia, she remained connected with bringing children into the light and with the dangers that surrounded their birth.
In the modern world
No modern rework confirmed yet.
3 sources· checked 2026-08-19
- 1The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)T1
- 2Apollodorus, The LibraryT1
Quote
“Zeus marries Hera, and together they have Hebe, Eileithyia and Ares as their children.”
Apollodorus, The Library
- 3Greek Myths & TalesT1
Also appears in
The myths across MythSource where Eileithyia features, each on that figure’s page.
- The Birth of Apollo · on Apollo
- The Birth of Artemis on Delos · on Artemis
- The Birth of Apollo and Artemis · on Leto
- The Union of Zeus and Leto · on Leto
1 work catalogued
This is the candidate catalogue for Eileithyia: candidate reworks first, then references, then names used as atmosphere. Nothing here has been checked against a source yet. Only reviewed myth-to-work links are promoted in Overview.
Showing 1 of 1 works.
Film1
- EileithyiaName only
These are catalogue candidates, not proof that every work retells this figure. Reviewed myth-to-work links appear in Overview.
What this page is built from
About this page
Written and maintained by MythSource. Last reviewed not yet recorded. How a page gets built.
3 sources are cited on this page, primary texts and corpus scholarship, listed below.
Cite this page
MythSource. (n.d.). Eileithyia. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/eileithyia
"Eileithyia." MythSource, n.d., www.mythsource.com/figures/eileithyia.
"Eileithyia." MythSource. n.d. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/eileithyia.
The mythology summaries and identity fields on this page are grounded in the primary texts and scholarship above. The appearance table records candidates separately; only reviewed joins are presented as modern reworks in Overview.
The film
The Underdrawing video on Eileithyia embeds here once it publishes.