In Greek mythology, Hermes taught Pandora the art of deceptive speech. Hesiod’s account assigns different gifts or qualities to the gods, and Hermes contributes language marked by misleading or dishonest expression.
Hermes is the Olympian messenger and a god associated with travel, trade, boundaries, thieves, and clever schemes. His role in Pandora’s creation fits the myth’s portrayal of her as an attractive but dangerous gift sent by Zeus.
Hephaestus, not Hermes, made Pandora’s body from earth. Athena is associated with clothing and craft, Aphrodite with beauty, and the Graces with adornment in later summaries of the episode. These contributions are sometimes compressed into a single statement that “the gods gave Pandora everything.”
The story’s details vary across translations and retellings. Even so, Hermes’s association with deceptive speech is a distinctive feature of Hesiod’s description and separates him from the other gods involved in Pandora’s construction.