In Hesiod’s Theogony, Hephaestus uses earth to fashion Pandora.
Hesiod describes Zeus ordering Hephaestus to shape a woman from earth. The gods then add qualities, clothing, skills, and gifts, producing a figure whose name is commonly understood as “all-gifted” or “having all gifts.” This creation scene makes Pandora a constructed divine artifact rather than a naturally born human in the poem’s narrative.
The detail is sometimes simplified as “Pandora was made from clay.” Earth or soil is the more direct wording associated with the Greek text, while clay is a familiar modern paraphrase. The distinction matters when a question asks for Hesiod’s specific material.
Hephaestus is the Greek god of fire, metalworking, and craftsmanship, so his role fits the act of fashioning a figure. Athena then contributes instruction and clothing, while other gods supply additional attributes. The story’s sequence differs between Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days, though both connect Pandora with Zeus’s punishment of humanity.