In Greek mythology, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to create Pandora, according to Hesiod’s Works and Days.
Hesiod presents Pandora as a punishment imposed on humanity after Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to mortals. Zeus instructed Hephaestus, the divine smith, to shape Pandora from earth. Other gods then contributed abilities or ornaments, including clothing, persuasion, and curiosity in later interpretations.
Pandora’s creation story appears most fully in Works and Days, composed in archaic Greece. Hesiod also mentions Pandora in the Theogony, although that account is shorter and does not tell the complete story.
A common mix-up is assuming that Hephaestus alone invented Pandora. He physically formed her, but Zeus initiated the plan, and several gods helped equip her. The name Pandora is usually explained as meaning “all-gifted” or “gifted by all.”