In the Greek myth of Pandora’s box, which god shaped Pandora from earth?

In the Greek myth of Pandora’s box, Hephaestus shaped Pandora from earth. Hesiod describes Zeus ordering the divine smith to form a woman from the ground as part of Zeus’s response to Prometheus’s theft of fire.

Hephaestus is the Olympian craftsman associated with metalworking, furnaces, and ingenious constructions. His role in Pandora’s creation fits that broader mythological identity: he physically fashions the figure, while other gods supply attributes and gifts. The story is therefore both a creation narrative and a divine punishment tale.

Readers sometimes confuse Hephaestus with Prometheus because both figures are connected with fire. Their roles are opposite in this episode. Prometheus brings fire to humanity, whereas Hephaestus carries out Zeus’s instructions to make Pandora. The later English phrase “Pandora’s box” can also obscure the original image of a large jar made for storage.