In Hesiod’s account, Hermes gives Pandora a deceptive mind and a lying tongue.
Hesiod’s Theogony describes Pandora as a constructed figure whose traits are supplied by several gods. Hermes, the divine messenger, is assigned a particularly troubling contribution: he puts deception and speech into her character. The passage helps explain why Pandora’s arrival is treated as part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity rather than as a neutral gift.
This detail is often blurred in modern summaries, which may say simply that Hermes gives Pandora speech. Hesiod’s wording is more specific and negative. The myth’s portrayal reflects ancient Greek assumptions about women, marriage, and dependence on male householders, rather than a modern account of personality or agency. Hermes is also frequently confused with Aphrodite in retellings: Aphrodite supplies beauty and desire, while Hermes supplies deceptive verbal qualities.