In the Greek myth of Pandora’s box, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to create Pandora. Zeus wanted to punish humanity after Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to mortals.
Hephaestus shaped Pandora from earth, and other Olympian gods gave her various gifts, including clothing, jewelry, speech, and curiosity. Hermes then brought her to Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother. Although Prometheus had warned Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus, Epimetheus welcomed Pandora.
The later “box” story is actually based on an ancient Greek jar. Pandora opened the container, releasing troubles into the world while hope remained inside. The myth appears in two works by Hesiod, who presents Pandora as part of Zeus’s punishment for Prometheus’s defiance.
Zeus is sometimes confused with Hephaestus in this detail because Hephaestus physically made Pandora. The distinction is important: Zeus devised the punishment, while Hephaestus carried out the creation.