In Greek mythology, whom did Zeus order to create Pandora?

In Greek mythology, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to create Pandora. Hephaestus, the divine smith, shaped her from earth as part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity.

The episode follows Prometheus’s theft of fire for humans. In Hesiod’s account, Zeus responds by arranging a new danger for mortals. He commands Hephaestus to make a woman, while other gods contribute abilities, ornaments, and gifts.

Hephaestus is associated with metalworking, forging, fire, and craftsmanship, so his role fits the myth’s description of Pandora being constructed as an artificial human figure. The story is not a creation account shared by every Greek writer; it is especially associated with Hesiod’s poems.

Prometheus is sometimes confused with the creator of Pandora because he is central to the surrounding fire myth. However, Hesiod specifically assigns Pandora’s fashioning to Hephaestus, while Zeus directs the larger plan.