Eileithyia is the goddess of childbirth who has the power to help women give birth. Circe calls for Eileithyia’s help during her labor with Telegonus, but she does not come, which indicates that some other divinity does not want Circe’s labor to go well. The god preventing the birth turns out to be Athena, who does not want Telegonus alive, because he is prophesied to kill Odysseus. Odysseus is a favorite mortal of Athena’s, so she is selfishly determined to keep him alive, even if that means the death of an innocent child.
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Eileithyia Character Timeline in Circe
The timeline below shows where the character Eileithyia appears in Circe. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 18
...to fear that her son will die before he is born. She tries to summon Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, but the goddess does not come. Remembering with a chill that...
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...are so many near-accidents that Circe at last grasps that the god that had prevented Eileithyia from coming may be trying to strike again. Needing to know if her son’s life...
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