In Hesiod’s Pandora story, which Greek god made Pandora’s clay body?

Hephaestus made Pandora’s clay body in Hesiod’s account of her creation.

Hephaestus was the Greek god of fire, metalworking, craft, and smithing. Zeus ordered him to shape Pandora from earth, giving the story a crafted, artificial origin for the first woman described in Works and Days.

Other gods then contributed different qualities or adornments. Athena taught or clothed her, Aphrodite gave beauty, and Hermes supplied a deceptive or persuasive character in the traditional summary. The exact allocation of gifts can vary across translations and interpretations.

This creation scene connects Pandora to divine craftsmanship rather than presenting her as born in the ordinary human way. It also parallels ancient myths in which gods manufacture living beings from earth or clay.