In Greek mythology, Hermes gave Pandora a deceptive mind and persuasive words. Hesiod associates the messenger god with putting falsehood and a crafty character into Pandora, helping explain the dangerous role she will play in Zeus’s plan.
Hermes was the Olympian god of messages, travel, trade, boundaries, and cunning. His connection with clever speech and trickery makes him a fitting figure for this part of Pandora’s creation. In the myth, Pandora is assembled through contributions from several gods, so her character is deliberately composite.
The tradition is sometimes simplified into a list of modern personality traits, but the ancient wording is more specific. Hesiod emphasizes deceitful speech and a mind capable of guile rather than simply describing Pandora as curious or evil. Those later traits became common in popular retellings.
Pandora’s story is also frequently blended with the later “box” expression. Hesiod’s original container was a large jar, while Hermes’s contribution belongs to the older Greek literary narrative itself.