In Greek mythology, which god was said to shape Pandora from clay?

In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was said to shape Pandora from clay. He is the Olympian god associated with fire, metalworking, craftsmanship, and invention, making him the natural divine artisan for the task.

Hesiod’s Works and Days describes Zeus commanding Hephaestus to form Pandora’s body from earth. Other gods then contribute qualities or adornments, including clothing, beauty, and persuasive speech. This collaborative creation explains why Pandora’s name means “All-gifted.”

Hephaestus’s role is sometimes overlooked because popular illustrations focus on the container rather than Pandora’s construction. The episode also resembles other Greek creation stories in which a crafted human figure is made from earth or clay, though the exact details differ by author.

Pandora is not the same figure as Galatea, the statue brought to life in a later Greek myth associated with Pygmalion. Hephaestus’s participation here concerns the making of Pandora as Zeus’s instrument of punishment after Prometheus’s theft of fire.