Hermes delivered Pandora to Epimetheus in Hesiod’s version of the myth.
After the gods create and equip Pandora, Zeus sends her to Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother. Hermes serves as the messenger and escort in this part of the story. He is especially suited to the role because Greek myth presents him as the herald of the gods, a guide, and a deity associated with travel and communication.
The episode also emphasizes Epimetheus’s name, commonly interpreted as “afterthought.” Prometheus had warned him not to accept gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus receives Pandora anyway. The warning and its failure form part of the myth’s explanation for why humanity experiences suffering.
Hermes is sometimes confused with Hephaestus because both participate in Pandora’s origin. Hephaestus fashions her body, while Hermes delivers her and gives her speech and a deceptive character in Hesiod’s account.