In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Zeus ordered the gods to create Pandora. His command forms part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity after Prometheus deceived him and stole fire for mortals.
Zeus instructs Hephaestus to shape a woman from earth, after which other gods provide attributes and adornments. Hermes gives her a deceptive nature and persuasive speech, while other divine figures teach skills or add beauty. Pandora is then sent to Prometheus’s brother Epimetheus, despite Prometheus’s warning not to accept gifts from Zeus.
The myth links Pandora directly with the Prometheus cycle. Prometheus’s theft benefits humans by giving them fire, but Zeus answers by introducing a different kind of danger. Hesiod’s account therefore explains both the spread of suffering and the difficult condition of human life.
Zeus is sometimes confused with Hephaestus in quiz answers because Hephaestus performs the physical crafting. The distinction is clear in Hesiod: Zeus commands the creation, while Hephaestus executes the making of Pandora from earth.