In Hesiod’s Works and Days, what crime prompted Zeus to send Pandora to humanity?

In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Prometheus stealing fire prompted Zeus to send Pandora to humanity.

Prometheus had earlier deceived Zeus during a sacrifice, but Hesiod specifically connects Pandora’s creation with the later theft of fire. Prometheus took fire from the gods and gave it to humans, allowing them to cook food, work metal, and develop technology. Zeus responded by ordering the gods to create Pandora as a punishment for humankind.

Pandora’s arrival is therefore part of a wider chain of punishments involving both Prometheus and humanity. A common mix-up is to treat Pandora as punishment only for Prometheus; in Hesiod’s account, Zeus fashions her as a disguised gift for humans, while Prometheus himself receives a separate punishment. The later “box” tradition comes from the story’s jar, not from the fire episode itself.