In Greek mythology, Hephaestus created Pandora, the woman linked to Pandora’s Box.
According to Hesiod’s account, Zeus ordered the creation of Pandora after Prometheus gave fire to humanity. Hephaestus, the divine smith, shaped her from earth. Other gods then gave her qualities and gifts, including clothing, beauty, speech, and curiosity.
Pandora’s creation is part of a punishment story directed at humanity, not simply an adventure about opening a container. The gods presented her to Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother. Although Prometheus had warned him not to accept gifts from Zeus, Epimetheus welcomed Pandora.
The familiar English expression “Pandora’s Box” comes from a later translation tradition. Hesiod described a large storage jar, or pithos, rather than a small box. The myth’s details also vary between ancient sources, especially regarding which deity supplied each gift.