In Hesiod's Theogony, which god gives Pandora her life and form?

In Hesiod's Theogony, Hephaestus gives Pandora her life and form.

The poem describes Pandora as fashioned by the gods at Zeus's command. Hephaestus, the divine smith, shapes her from earth, giving the first woman a crafted physical form. Other gods then contribute qualities, including beauty, charm, persuasion, and skill.

This detail comes from Hesiod's account of Pandora's creation, rather than from the later shortened expression “Pandora's box.” In the earliest Greek versions, Pandora receives a large storage jar, not a box. The Greek word pithos refers to a substantial vessel used for storing goods such as grain or oil.

A common mix-up is assigning Pandora's creation to Prometheus. Prometheus is associated with creating or helping humanity in other traditions, but in Hesiod's story Zeus orders Pandora's making as a punishment connected with Prometheus's theft of fire. Hephaestus's role reflects his wider mythological identity as the gods' craftsman.