In ancient Greek mythology, Pandora’s jar released evils into the human world.
Hesiod describes the container as holding destructive troubles or afflictions. When Pandora opened it, these evils escaped and spread among humans. The episode functions as an origin story for suffering: it explains why people experience hardship, illness, and other forms of misery despite the world’s divine order.
Translations vary in their exact vocabulary. English versions may use “evils,” “ills,” “troubles,” or “miseries,” but these terms refer to the same broad contents of the jar rather than to a list of named monsters. The myth does not present a scientific account of disease or misfortune.
The story’s most famous contrast is that Hope remained inside. That contrast has made the jar a lasting symbol for an action whose consequences cannot easily be reversed.