In Hesiod’s Greek myth, who created Pandora’s body from earth?

In Hesiod’s Greek myth, Hephaestus created Pandora’s body from earth. Zeus commanded the divine smith to form the first woman as part of a punishment directed at Prometheus and humanity.

Hephaestus was the Olympian god of fire, metalworking, and craftsmanship. His role in shaping Pandora reflects his traditional identity as the gods’ artisan. Other deities then contributed different qualities: Athena clothed her and taught her crafts, while Hermes supplied a deceptive nature and persuasive speech in the literary account.

This division of roles is important because Pandora is presented as a constructed, divinely assembled figure rather than an ordinary mortal born through human parentage. Her creation story also parallels the making of humans from earth in several ancient traditions, though Hesiod’s narrative specifically emphasizes Zeus’s plan and the gods’ individual contributions.