In Hesiod’s myth of Pandora, Zeus orders her creation as a punishment for humanity.
The story follows Prometheus’s theft of fire for humans. Zeus responds by arranging the creation of Pandora, who is fashioned by Hephaestus and endowed with qualities by other gods. Her arrival is therefore part of Zeus’s plan to bring suffering to humankind.
Hesiod presents Zeus as the chief authority directing this punishment, while the other gods contribute to Pandora’s making and adornment. This division of roles can cause confusion: Hephaestus creates her body, but Zeus initiates the scheme.
Pandora’s story appears prominently in Hesiod’s Works and Days. A related passage in the Theogony discusses the consequences of Prometheus’s conflict with Zeus, but the fuller account of Pandora and the jar is found in Works and Days.