In Greek mythology, Zeus created Pandora as a punishment for humanity after Prometheus stole fire. Zeus did not personally shape her body; instead, he ordered the gods to make her and assigned the plan its purpose.
Prometheus had deceived Zeus and then taken fire from the gods for humans. Zeus responded by having Prometheus chained and by devising a separate punishment for humanity. Pandora was sent as an attractive gift whose hidden consequences would bring suffering into the human world.
This distinction explains why some summaries say Zeus “created” Pandora while the detailed myth says Hephaestus fashioned her from earth. Zeus is the planner and authority behind the creation, while several other gods provide her form and attributes.
The story appears most fully in Hesiod’s Works and Days. Its themes include divine retribution, the danger of deceptive appearances, and the difficult relationship between human benefits and their costs. Later versions often turn the myth into a general explanation for why evil exists.