Hephaestus shapes Pandora from earth before the other gods adorn her in Hesiod’s myth.
In Works and Days, Zeus instructs Hephaestus to form Pandora’s body from earth. Hephaestus is the Greek god of fire, metalworking, craftsmanship, and the forge, making him the fitting divine artisan for this task.
Other gods then contribute different qualities or decorations. Athena teaches Pandora crafts, Aphrodite gives her beauty and desire, and Hermes provides the deceptive and shameless qualities specified by Zeus. The assembled figure is presented to Epimetheus as a divine gift.
Hephaestus’s role should not be confused with Prometheus’s role in the story. Prometheus is linked to the theft of fire, while Hephaestus is the craftsman who physically forms Pandora. The creation scene also shows how Hesiod builds the myth through coordinated actions by several gods rather than attributing every part of Pandora to one divine figure.