Hesiod, Works and Days 59 - 80
The creation of Pandora
View the Perseus Text
59   |
So said the father of men and gods, and laughed aloud. |
60 |
And he bade famous Hephaestus make haste and mix earth with water and to
put in it the voice and strength of human kind, and fashion a sweet,
lovely maiden-shape, like to the immortal goddesses in face; and Athena
to teach her needlework and the weaving of the varied web;
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65 |
and golden Aphrodite to shed grace upon her head and cruel longing and
cares that weary the limbs. And he charged Hermes the guide, the Slayer
of Argus, to put in her a shameless mind and a deceitful nature.
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69 |
So he ordered. And they obeyed the lord Zeus the son of Cronos. |
70 |
Forthwith the famous Lame God moulded clay in the likeness of a modest
maid, as the son of Cronos purposed. And the goddess brighteyed Athena
girded and clothed her, and the divine Graces and queenly Persuasion
put necklaces of gold upon her,
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75 |
and the rich-haired Hours crowned her head with spring flowers. And
Pallas Athena bedecked her form with all manner of finery. Also the
Guide, the Slayer of Argus, contrived within her lies and crafty words
and a deceitful nature at the will of loud thundering Zeus,
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80 |
and the Herald of the gods put speech in her. And he called this woman
Pandora, because all they who dwelt on Olympus gave each a gift, a
plague to men who eat bread.
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