Hesiod’s Works and Days, the main source for Pandora’s myth, is usually dated to the 7th century BCE.
Hesiod is generally placed near the beginning of archaic Greek literature, alongside the early development of the epic tradition. Works and Days is commonly dated to around 700 BCE, though scholars continue to discuss its exact date, composition, and relationship to other poems attributed to Hesiod.
The poem is important because it preserves a detailed version of the Pandora story while also discussing agriculture, seafaring, justice, labor, and seasonal timing. Its mixture of everyday instruction and myth gives the Pandora episode a practical and moral setting rather than presenting it as an isolated fairy tale.
Dating ancient poetry is rarely as precise as dating a modern publication. “Seventh century BCE” identifies the usual historical period, not a securely documented publication year. The Theogony, another work attributed to Hesiod, is also generally placed in the archaic period but offers a shorter version of Pandora’s story.