Women in Everyday Life

The mere fact that Eileithyia and other female deities were omnipresent in ancient Greece also shows how women were crucial to the culture. These goddesses allowed for a strong female presence in everyday life and in the common knowledge of the ancient Greeks. This can be seen by the numerous times Eileithyia is mentioned in Greek literature. She is mentioned in the works of Herodotus for her ability to ease child-bearing, and she also plays a role in Homer's Illiad. Pausanias makes a large number of references to the goddess as well, and he recounts how the poet Olen identified her with fate by calling her "the clever spinner". Since her name is mentioned in literature so freely, Eileithyia must have been a goddess known and worshipped extensively throughout ancient Greece.

Eileithyia's strong presence in Greek culture can also be seen in the contemporary art. She is seen on the vase on the left assisting Zeus in Athena's birth, and her sculpture is found in the Parthenon. The fact that goddesses were worshipped in ancient Greece indicates a certain respect for women. The majority of modern religions focus on deities which are assumed to be masculine. Greek goddesses like Eileithyia were not only immortalized in the art and literature of the time but also in the minds and daily lives of the ancient Greeks. The importance of this female deity to Greek life and the fact that her responsibility was to care for women during childbirth shows that women played an active role in ancient Greek culture.

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