In Hesiod’s account, which god shaped Pandora from clay?

In Hesiod’s account, Hephaestus shaped Pandora from clay. Hephaestus was the Greek god of fire, metalworking, craftsmanship, and invention, making him the natural divine artisan for the creation of a human-like figure.

The story appears in Hesiod’s Works and Days, where Zeus orders Pandora’s creation as part of a punishment directed at humanity. Hephaestus molds her body, while other gods contribute qualities or skills. This collaborative construction explains why her name means “All-gifted”: Pandora receives gifts from many members of the divine community.

The clay detail can be confused with other creation myths in which a deity makes humans from earth. Pandora’s creation is distinctive because it is presented as a deliberate divine response to Prometheus’s theft of fire. Hephaestus’s role is also different from Prometheus’s: Hephaestus makes Pandora, while Prometheus is associated with bringing fire to humans.

Ancient artistic representations of Pandora vary, and not every later retelling preserves the clay-making episode. Hesiod’s written account remains the key source for this specific detail.