In Hesiod’s account of Pandora, Hermes gave her a deceptive mind and a deceitful character.
The detail appears in Works and Days, where the gods contribute different traits to the woman fashioned for the punishment of humanity. Hermes, the divine herald and messenger, gives Pandora a mind described as shameless or doglike and a deceitful nature. He also gives her a voice, completing the verbal and persuasive qualities associated with her presentation to humans.
This is distinct from the gifts assigned to several other gods. Hephaestus forms Pandora from earth, Athena teaches her handicraft, and Aphrodite gives her grace and desire. The gods’ contributions create the composite figure whose name is often understood as “all-gifted.”
Popular retellings sometimes attribute every element of Pandora’s creation to Zeus or Hephaestus, but Hesiod distributes the work among multiple deities. Hermes’ role is specifically connected with her speech, mentality, and deceptive character in the poem.