In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Hephaestus molded Pandora from earth before the other gods adorned her.
Zeus ordered Hephaestus to shape Pandora as part of his punishment for humanity after Prometheus stole fire. The craftsman god formed her from earth, giving the creation a human appearance. Other gods then contributed gifts, including clothing, adornment, and qualities that helped make her persuasive.
This detail is sometimes confused with Prometheus’s role. Prometheus is associated with creating or helping humanity in several later traditions, but in Hesiod’s account he does not mold Pandora. He instead steals fire for humans, provoking Zeus’s retaliation.
Pandora’s creation appears in both Works and Days and the Theogony, although the two poems differ in how much detail they provide. The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” comes from later translation history; Hesiod’s original container was a jar.