In Hesiod’s mythology, who fashioned Pandora’s body from clay?

In Hesiod’s mythology, Hephaestus fashioned Pandora’s body from clay. Zeus ordered the god of fire and metalworking to create a woman as part of the punishment imposed on humanity after Prometheus’s theft of fire.

Hephaestus was especially associated with forging, craftsmanship, and artificial beings, so his role fits the story’s presentation of Pandora as a divinely manufactured figure. The other gods then contributed qualities, clothing, ornaments, and abilities to complete her presentation.

This detail is sometimes confused with the roles of Athena and Aphrodite. Athena is associated with teaching Pandora crafts and clothing her, while Aphrodite gives her beauty and charm in Hesiod’s account. Pandora’s creation is therefore a collaborative divine project, but Hephaestus is the god explicitly assigned to shape her body.