Zeus directed Hephaestus to create Pandora in Hesiod’s myth.
After Prometheus stole fire for humanity, Zeus decided to impose a punishment. He ordered Hephaestus, the divine smith, to shape a woman from earth. The other gods then contributed qualities and adornments, making Pandora appear magnificent and fully equipped for her role in the story.
Hephaestus’s role is that of maker, while Zeus remains the planner and authority behind the act. This division is important because retellings sometimes describe Hephaestus as Pandora’s creator without mentioning Zeus’s command. The Greek myth presents both roles, but the question asks who gave the order.
The episode appears in Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days, with Works and Days offering the more developed account. It also reflects a recurring Greek mythological pattern in which Zeus’s decisions establish the conditions that other gods carry out.