In ancient Greek mythology, evils were released when Pandora opened the jar.
Hesiod describes the container as holding destructive conditions that had previously been absent from human life. Once Pandora opened it, the evils escaped and spread among mortals. The story therefore functions as an etiological myth, offering a supernatural explanation for why people experience suffering and misfortune.
The popular version often says that “all the evils of the world” came out, which is a reasonable summary but not a modern inventory of named diseases or disasters. Hesiod’s account treats the contents collectively rather than listing them as individual characters.
Hope remained inside after Pandora closed the container. That ending is important because the myth contrasts the spread of evils with the presence of Elpis, whose meaning and moral status have been debated by interpreters for centuries.