In Hesiod’s Works and Days, the gods gave Pandora the gifts that helped create her. Her name is commonly connected with the Greek words pan, meaning “all,” and doron, meaning “gift,” reflecting the myth’s idea that many gods contributed qualities to her.
Hesiod describes Pandora as fashioned by Hephaestus at Zeus’s command. Athena taught her crafts, Aphrodite gave her beauty, and Hermes gave her a deceptive or persuasive nature. Other gods also contribute in the poem’s account, so the creation is collective rather than the work of one deity.
The myth follows Zeus’s punishment of humanity after Prometheus stole fire for mortals. Pandora is sent as a gift to Epimetheus, despite Prometheus’s warning. The story is therefore connected to broader Greek explanations for why human life includes labor, suffering, and hardship.
Later versions often compress the divine contributions into the phrase “the gods gave her everything.” That summary is useful, but Hesiod’s details show that the gifts include both admirable abilities and traits associated with deception.