In Hesiod’s account, Hermes gave Pandora a deceptive mind and speech.
Hermes is the Olympian messenger and a god associated with communication, trade, travel, and cunning. In Works and Days, he is instructed to give Pandora a shameless mind and a deceptive character, helping make her an instrument of Zeus’s punishment.
This role differs from the contributions assigned to other gods. Hephaestus shapes Pandora, Athena teaches or adorns her, and Aphrodite gives her beauty and desire in expanded descriptions. Hermes’s contribution concerns her words and disposition, which emphasizes persuasion and concealment.
The episode is one reason Pandora’s story is often read as a warning about appearances and misleading speech. It should not be confused with later Christian or modern interpretations that make Pandora simply curious or evil; Hesiod’s original portrayal is a mythic explanation for suffering entering human life.