In Greek mythology, Hephaestus shapes Pandora from earth at Zeus’s command.
Hesiod’s Works and Days describes Pandora’s creation as a divine manufacturing process. Zeus orders Hephaestus, the god of fire and metalworking, to make a woman from earth. Hephaestus is a fitting craftsman for the task because Greek myth often associates him with forging divine objects, armor, weapons, and intricate artifacts.
After Hephaestus forms Pandora, other gods add qualities and adornments. Athena teaches her crafts and gives her clothing, Aphrodite grants beauty and desire, and Hermes contributes a deceptive character and a voice. The story thus explains Pandora as a collective divine creation, although Zeus directs the plan.
A common mix-up is to identify Prometheus as Pandora’s maker. Prometheus is connected with the myth because he steals fire for humans, and Zeus creates Pandora as part of the punishment that follows. His brother Epimetheus receives Pandora, despite Prometheus’s warning not to accept gifts from Zeus. The making itself, however, belongs to Hephaestus.