In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Hephaestus fashioned Pandora from earth at Zeus’s command.
The poem describes Pandora as an artificial woman made by the divine smith Hephaestus. Zeus ordered her creation as part of his punishment of humanity after Prometheus stole fire for mortals. Hephaestus shaped her likeness from earth, giving the story a creation scene that parallels other Greek myths about gods forming living beings.
Pandora was then adorned and endowed with gifts by several gods and goddesses. Hermes brought her to Epimetheus, who accepted her despite Prometheus’s warning. The later popular image of Pandora’s “box” comes from a translation of the Greek word pithos, which originally meant a large storage jar.
Hephaestus is sometimes confused with Prometheus because both are connected with fire and craftsmanship. In Hesiod’s account, however, Hephaestus creates Pandora while Prometheus is the figure who obtains fire for humans.