In the myth of Pandora’s Box, Athena gave Pandora her clothing.
Hesiod’s account describes Pandora as being prepared by the gods before she is presented to humanity. Athena, the goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and crafts, is credited with clothing her. Other gods contribute different gifts or characteristics, making Pandora a composite creation rather than the work of one deity alone.
This detail is often confused with Aphrodite’s contribution. Aphrodite gives Pandora charm or grace in many summaries, while the Graces and Peitho are associated with ornaments or persuasive attraction in versions based on Hesiod. Hermes supplies a deceptive or cunning disposition in some translations of the passage, although the exact wording varies by edition.
Pandora’s clothing is not simply decorative in the narrative. It forms part of the elaborate presentation that makes her seem desirable and wondrous to humans. The myth’s dramatic contrast is between her attractive appearance and the suffering released from the vessel she carries.