In Hesiod’s account of Pandora, which god was said to fashion her from earth?

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In Hesiod’s account of Pandora, Hephaestus was said to fashion her from earth.

Hephaestus was the Greek god of fire, metalworking, craft, and smithing. In Works and Days, Zeus commands him to shape Pandora from earth, giving the scene the character of a divine workshop creation. Other gods then contribute qualities, adornments, or skills.

The creation is not attributed to a single god in every detail. Hesiod describes a collaborative divine process: Athena teaches or dresses Pandora, Aphrodite gives her charm, and Hermes gives her a deceptive or persuasive character. These details explain why Pandora is called “all-gifted.”

A common mistake is to name Zeus as Pandora’s maker because Zeus orders the plan and controls the punishment. Zeus is the instigator, but Hephaestus performs the fashioning in the principal literary account. Greek myths can vary across authors, so this answer specifically follows Hesiod’s Works and Days.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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