In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Hephaestus fashioned Pandora’s body from clay.
Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the divine smith and craftsman, to make Pandora as part of the punishment imposed on humanity after Prometheus gave people fire. Hephaestus shaped her from earth, giving the creation story a crafted, almost sculptural quality. Other gods then contributed qualities and gifts to complete her.
The myth does not describe Pandora as being born to human parents. She is instead manufactured by divine command and animated through the gifts of the gods. This detail distinguishes her origin from later stories about goddesses who are born naturally or emerge fully formed.
Hephaestus is often identified with metalworking, fire, invention, and craftsmanship. In Homeric mythology he is the son of Hera, although accounts of his parentage vary. His role in making Pandora fits his wider mythological identity as the gods’ artisan.