In Greek mythology, Athena dressed Pandora in a richly embroidered robe.
Hesiod’s account of Pandora’s creation includes Athena clothing her in a garment. The detail is part of the larger sequence in which the gods prepare Pandora before presenting her to humanity. Athena’s association with weaving and skilled handiwork makes her the deity connected with the robe and its craftsmanship.
The clothing is not merely decorative. In the poem, Pandora is made attractive and carefully equipped so that her arrival will be persuasive rather than alarming. Her appearance helps conceal the danger Zeus intends her to bring. This is one reason later retellings often emphasize Pandora’s beauty and adornment.
Aphrodite is frequently confused with Athena in modern summaries because Aphrodite also contributes to Pandora’s attractiveness. The distinction is useful: Aphrodite supplies beauty and desire, while Athena provides textile skill and clothing. Different translations may describe the robe as a dress, garment, or embroidered clothing, but the goddess remains Athena.