In Hesiod’s Greek myth of Pandora, Zeus sent Hermes to give her speech and a deceptive nature. Pandora is created as part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity after Prometheus gives people fire, and Hermes supplies qualities that make her both communicative and potentially misleading.
The episode appears in Hesiod’s Works and Days, where the gods contribute different attributes to the woman fashioned for Zeus’s plan. Hephaestus forms her from earth, while other gods provide gifts such as clothing, adornment, and skills. Hermes’s contribution is especially important because it connects Pandora with persuasive speech and a disposition that can conceal intentions.
This detail is sometimes simplified in modern summaries into the claim that Hermes “created” Pandora. In Hesiod’s narrative, however, the roles are divided: Hephaestus shapes her, the gods adorn or instruct her, and Hermes supplies particular mental and communicative qualities. Zeus remains the figure directing the overall design and sending Hermes on this task.