In Hesiod’s account, Hermes gives Pandora deceptive speech.
Hermes is the Greek god associated with messengers, travel, commerce, boundaries, and cunning communication. In the creation sequence of *Works and Days*, different gods provide Pandora with different qualities, and Hermes contributes a deceptive mind and speech.
This detail helps explain why Pandora is presented as an instrument of Zeus’s punishment. Her danger is not only physical curiosity; her appearance, skills, and persuasive capacity are assembled as part of a coordinated divine design.
Hermes is sometimes confused with Hephaestus in summaries of the myth. Hephaestus fashions Pandora, while Hermes supplies verbal and mental qualities. Other retellings simplify the episode and omit these individual divine contributions.