In Hesiod’s Works and Days, what kind of figure is Pandora described as being?

In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Pandora is described as the first woman. Her creation forms part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity after Prometheus stole fire and gave it to mortals.

Hesiod’s account presents Pandora as a constructed figure made by the gods rather than as a woman born through ordinary human parentage. Hephaestus shapes her, while other gods contribute gifts, abilities, and deceptive qualities. Zeus then sends her to Epimetheus, who accepts her despite Prometheus’s warning not to receive gifts from Zeus.

Later retellings often make Pandora primarily a curious woman who opens a forbidden container. Hesiod’s earlier story places greater emphasis on divine deception, labor, and the origins of suffering among humans. The phrase “first woman” should not be confused with “first human”: in the myth, men already exist before Pandora arrives.