In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Pandora was formed from earth before the gods adorned and equipped her. Zeus orders Hephaestus to shape a woman’s likeness from earth, making her a constructed divine creation rather than a naturally born human figure.
The material connects Pandora to a broader ancient Mediterranean idea that human beings are fashioned from earth or clay. In this story, however, the emphasis is not on humanity’s general origin. The earth-made figure is specifically prepared as part of Zeus’s response to Prometheus and the theft of fire.
Popular illustrations often show Pandora as a fully living woman emerging from a workshop, which can obscure the poem’s sequence. First comes the fashioned form; then the gods add beauty, clothing, skills, and other qualities. The account therefore combines craftsmanship, divine gifts, and deception. It also helps distinguish Hesiod’s story from later artistic versions that borrow the imagery without following the original order.