In the Greek myth of Pandora’s creation, Hermes gave her a deceitful mind and deceptive speech.
Hesiod’s Theogony presents Pandora as a constructed figure whose qualities came from several gods. Hermes, Zeus’s messenger and a deity associated with cunning and boundaries, supplied a deceptive character and misleading speech. This contribution reinforces the myth’s portrayal of Pandora as an instrument in Zeus’s punishment of humanity.
Hermes is not the god who physically fashioned Pandora. That task is assigned to Hephaestus, who shaped her from earth or clay at Zeus’s command. Confusing those roles can make the creation story seem simpler than Hesiod’s account, which distributes different gifts among the gods.
Later retellings often summarize the episode as the gods giving Pandora beauty, charm, and curiosity. Hesiod’s version is more specific and gives Hermes the role connected with deception and speech.