In Hesiod’s myth, Zeus commands the creation of Pandora.
The story presents Pandora as a punishment directed at humanity after Prometheus steals fire from the gods and gives it to mortals. Zeus orders the divine smith Hephaestus to form a woman from earth, while other gods contribute qualities, skills, or adornments. This makes Pandora a coordinated divine creation rather than the work of one deity alone.
Hesiod’s account is part of a broader Greek explanation for why human beings must labor and why suffering exists. Zeus’s plan also targets Prometheus’s brother Epimetheus, who accepts Pandora despite Prometheus’s warning not to receive gifts from Zeus. The later opening of the sealed container completes the punishment’s effect.
A common mix-up is saying that Prometheus created Pandora. Prometheus is connected to humanity’s stolen fire and its consequences, but Zeus initiates Pandora’s creation. Hephaestus physically shapes her, while Zeus remains the god who commands the plan.