In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Hephaestus shaped Pandora’s physical form from earth.
Zeus orders Hephaestus, the divine smith, to make the first woman as part of his punishment of humanity after Prometheus stole fire. Hephaestus molds her from earth, giving the story a crafted, artificial origin rather than presenting Pandora as born from human parents.
Other gods then contribute qualities or gifts. Athena teaches her crafts, Aphrodite gives her grace and desire, and Hermes gives her a deceptive mind and speech, according to Hesiod’s account. The combination makes Pandora a created figure assembled through divine contributions.
Hephaestus is sometimes confused with Zeus because Zeus directs the plan and later sends Pandora to Epimetheus. They have different roles: Zeus is the authority behind the punishment, while Hephaestus physically fashions the woman. This episode also parallels Hephaestus’s broader mythological role as the maker of divine objects and beings.