In Hesiod’s Works and Days, who fashioned Pandora from clay?

In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Hephaestus fashioned Pandora from clay. Zeus ordered the divine craftsman to create the first woman as part of his punishment of humanity after Prometheus stole fire for mortals.

Hephaestus was the Greek god of fire, metalworking, craft, and smithing, making him the natural divine artisan for this task. Other gods then contributed qualities or gifts: Athena taught Pandora crafts, Aphrodite gave her beauty, and Hermes supplied persuasive speech and a deceptive character.

The name Pandora means “all-gifted” or “all-giving,” reflecting the contributions made by several gods. Hesiod’s account is not a single modern-style story about a literal box; the earliest Greek version describes a large storage jar. The “box” wording became dominant later through a Latin translation.