Zeus orders the gods to create Pandora as punishment for humanity in Hesiod’s Works and Days. The command follows Prometheus’s theft of fire, which Zeus regards as a challenge to divine authority.
Hephaestus forms Pandora from earth, while other gods furnish her with beauty, clothing, crafts, speech, and persuasive qualities. Zeus then sends her to Epimetheus, despite Prometheus’s warning that gifts from Zeus may be dangerous. Her opening of the vessel releases diseases, toil, and other troubles.
The myth explains why human life contains suffering while also preserving a role for hope. Zeus’s action is not a random event but part of a deliberate sequence of punishment. Later versions may soften his responsibility, yet the earliest surviving account places the plan firmly with the king of the gods.