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Eileithyia
Sign in to saveAlso known as Ilithyia, Eilithyia, Ilithia
Eileithyia or Ilithyia (; , ; (Eleuthyia, ) in Crete, also (Eleuthia, ) or (Elysia, ) in Laconia and Messene, and (Eleuthō) in literature) was the Greek goddess of childbirth and midwifery, and the daughter of Zeus and Hera.
Key facts
- Deity.type
- Greek
- Deity.name
- Eileithyia
- Deity.image
- Amphora birth Athena Louvre F32.jpg
- Deity.caption
- The birth of Athena from the head of Zeus, with Eileithyia on the right
- Deity.god_of
- Goddess of childbirth
- Deity.abode
- Mount Olympus
- Deity.parents
- Zeus and Hera
- Deity.children
- Sosipolis
- Deity.siblings
- Ares, Hebe, Hephaestus and several paternal half-siblings
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Amphora birth Athena Louvre F32.jpg
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Eileithyia
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~16 min read
Article
21 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Origins
- Cult
- Achaea
- Arcadia
- Argos
- Athens
- Corinth
- Crete
- Delos
- Eretria
- Messene
- Olympia
- Paros
- Sparta
- Syria
- Genealogy
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
Eileithyia or Ilithyia (; , ; (Eleuthyia, ) in Crete, also (Eleuthia, ) or (Elysia, ) in Laconia and Messene, and (Eleuthō) in literature) was the Greek goddess of childbirth and midwifery, and the daughter of Zeus and Hera.
In the cave of Amnisos (Crete) she was related with the annual birth of the divine child, and her cult is connected with Enesidaon (the earth shaker), who was the chthonic aspect of the god Poseidon. It is possible that her cult is related with the cult of Eleusis. In his Seventh Nemean Ode, Pindar refers to her as the maid to or seated beside the Moirai (Fates) and responsible for the creation of offspring. Her son was Sosipolis, who was worshiped at Elis.