In Hesiod’s account, Athena helped dress Pandora before she was sent to humanity.
Works and Days presents Pandora as a figure prepared by several gods. Athena, the goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and skilled crafts, gives her clothing and adornment in the creation episode. Other divine figures contribute additional qualities or gifts.
This detail matters because Pandora’s construction is collective and ceremonial. Zeus does not simply create her alone; the myth describes a coordinated divine project intended to answer Prometheus’s theft of fire. Pandora’s beauty and accomplishments are part of the plan that makes her appear desirable to humans.
The story varies across later retellings, which often simplify the list of divine contributors. Athena’s role in Hesiod’s version should not be confused with Aphrodite’s role: Aphrodite is associated with beauty and desire, while Athena is specifically connected with clothing and adornment in this passage.