In Greek mythology, Hephaestus crafted Pandora’s body from earth on Zeus’s orders.
Hesiod’s Works and Days describes Zeus commanding Hephaestus to create a woman modeled after the immortal goddesses. Hephaestus, the divine smith and craftsman, shaped her from earth. Other gods then supplied her with qualities and adornments, creating the figure later known as Pandora.
This detail is sometimes confused with the gifts given by other deities. Athena is associated with clothing and craft skills, while Aphrodite is linked with beauty and desire in later retellings. Hermes contributes communication and deceptive character traits in Hesiod’s account.
The myth presents Pandora’s creation as part of Zeus’s punishment after Prometheus gave fire to humanity. Hesiod’s earliest literary versions do not call the container a box; they describe a large storage jar. The familiar English phrase developed through later translation and retelling.