In Greek mythology, which god was ordered to sculpt Pandora from clay?

In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was ordered to sculpt Pandora from clay. Hesiod’s account presents Pandora as a woman fashioned by the gods at Zeus’s command after Prometheus gave fire to humanity.

Hephaestus, the divine smith, shaped her body from earth or clay. Other gods then contributed qualities: Athena taught her crafts, Aphrodite gave her grace, and Hermes supplied persuasive speech and a deceptive nature. The details vary between ancient sources and later retellings.

Pandora is often described as the first woman in Greek mythology, although the story’s earliest surviving versions emphasize her creation as part of Zeus’s punishment of humankind. The familiar English title “Pandora’s box” is also a later misunderstanding of the Greek word pithos, meaning a large storage jar.