In Greek mythology, Hermes gave Pandora a deceptive mind or speech, according to Hesiod’s Works and Days.
Hesiod presents Pandora as a constructed figure whose qualities come from several gods. Athena teaches her crafts, Aphrodite gives her grace, and Hermes supplies a shameless character and a lying or deceptive nature. The wording differs across translations, so modern summaries sometimes turn Hermes’s gift into “curiosity,” a trait strongly associated with later versions of the story.
That popular idea is understandable because Pandora’s opening of the container is driven by her action, but Hesiod does not simply list curiosity as the exact gift in every translation. The ancient text emphasizes speech, character, and deception more directly. This is an important distinction between the original poem and later retellings.
Hermes is the messenger god and is associated with travel, trade, language, and cunning. His role in Pandora’s creation is therefore consistent with the poem’s broader portrayal, even though he is not the god who physically fashions her.