In Hesiod’s Greek mythology, Hephaestus fashioned Pandora’s human form from earth.
Hesiod describes Zeus ordering Hephaestus, the divine smith and craftsman, to make Pandora. Hephaestus shapes her from earth, giving the myth an artificial-creation motif. Other gods then contribute qualities or gifts, including clothing, adornment, and persuasive speech, depending on how the account is translated and summarized.
Pandora’s name is commonly interpreted as “all-gifted” or “the gift of all,” reflecting the role of the gods in her construction and presentation. She is not simply an ordinary mortal woman in the earliest literary story; she is a divinely prepared figure sent as part of Zeus’s response to Prometheus’s actions.
Athena is sometimes selected by mistake because she is associated with crafts and weaving. In Hesiod’s narrative, however, Hephaestus performs the central act of shaping Pandora’s body, while other gods provide different attributes.