In ancient Greek mythology, Zeus ordered the creation of Pandora after Prometheus gave fire to humans.
Hesiod presents Pandora as part of Zeus’s response to Prometheus’s defiance. Prometheus had deceived Zeus during a sacrificial division and later taken fire for humanity. Zeus therefore devised a punishment that would affect mortals, and he instructed the gods to create a woman with exceptional gifts.
The resulting figure was named Pandora, a name commonly understood as “all-gifted” or “gifted by all.” Different gods contributed qualities or possessions to her, and Zeus sent her to Epimetheus with the sealed container. The myth reflects Hesiod’s strongly patriarchal explanation for human suffering and for the burdens associated with marriage and labor.
Popular retellings often describe Pandora as acting alone or as simply curious. In Hesiod, however, Zeus is the divine authority who initiates the plan, while Prometheus’s earlier actions provide the immediate cause. Later authors and artists reinterpret the characters in many different ways.