Which Greek goddess taught Pandora skills in weaving, according to Hesiod?

The story behind the answer

According to Hesiod, Athena taught Pandora skills in weaving. This detail appears in the account of Pandora’s creation, where several gods contribute different qualities to the first woman.

Athena was the Greek goddess associated with wisdom, strategic warfare, crafts, and textile work. Weaving was a major domestic and artistic skill in ancient Greek society, so Athena’s role gives Pandora an ability associated with civilized household production and craftsmanship.

Pandora’s gifts are not all presented as simple blessings. Hesiod’s account also associates her with beauty, desire, speech, and deceptive character, making the creation a coordinated act by the gods rather than the work of one deity alone.

The myth therefore differs from versions in which Pandora is simply made by Hephaestus and animated. Hephaestus’s role is central to the creation, but Athena’s specific contribution is teaching weaving. That distinction makes Athena the precise answer to this question.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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