In Hesiod’s Greek myth, Hephaestus created Pandora’s human form on Zeus’s instructions.
Hesiod describes Zeus ordering Hephaestus, the divine craftsman, to fashion a woman from earth. Hephaestus was associated with metalworking, fire, and skilled manufacture, making him the god suited to shaping the new figure. Pandora’s creation was part of Zeus’s response to Prometheus’s theft of fire for humanity.
Other gods also contributed to Pandora’s presentation. Athena clothed her, Aphrodite gave her beauty, and Hermes gave her a deceptive or crafty character in Hesiod’s account. The name Pandora is usually interpreted as “all-gifted” or “gifted by all,” reflecting the gifts supplied by the gods.
A common mistake is to credit Prometheus with creating Pandora because he is the human benefactor in the surrounding story. Hesiod instead assigns the physical making of Pandora to Hephaestus. The myth combines craftsmanship, divine gifts, and punishment to explain the arrival of suffering among humans.