In Greek mythology, who created Pandora from clay on Zeus’s order?

In Greek mythology, Hephaestus created Pandora from clay on Zeus’s order.

Hesiod describes Zeus instructing Hephaestus, the divine smith, to make Pandora’s body from earth. The other gods then contributed qualities, skills, or adornments, making her a deliberately constructed figure rather than a naturally born human. Her creation formed part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity after Prometheus’s theft of fire.

Hephaestus was the Greek god associated with metalworking, craftsmanship, fire, and technology. His role in shaping Pandora connects the myth to his broader reputation as the Olympians’ maker of extraordinary objects and beings.

Modern retellings sometimes say that Zeus himself created Pandora, but the more specific maker named in Hesiod’s account is Hephaestus. Zeus ordered the creation and directed its purpose; Hephaestus carried out the physical work.