In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Zeus orders the creation of Pandora. His command is part of the punishment he imposes on humanity after Prometheus takes fire from the gods.
Zeus instructs Hephaestus to shape Pandora from earth. The other gods then furnish her with gifts, including skills, adornments, and persuasive qualities. Hermes gives her a deceptive or manipulative character in Hesiod’s account and later delivers her to Epimetheus.
This sequence is often compressed in modern retellings. Some versions say simply that the gods created Pandora, but Hesiod places Zeus at the top of the chain of command. The story functions as a divine retaliation against Prometheus and the humans who benefit from his theft.
Pandora’s creation is also distinct from the later opening of the vessel. The creation episode explains why she enters the human world; the vessel episode explains the arrival of suffering and hope.