In Greek mythology, Pandora was created as punishment for what act?

In Greek mythology, Pandora was created as punishment for Prometheus stealing fire from the gods. Hesiod presents her arrival among humans as Zeus’s retaliation for Prometheus’s act.

Prometheus was a Titan who supported humanity and famously gave people fire, an ability associated with technology, craftsmanship, and civilization. Zeus considered this a serious offense because it transferred a divine advantage to mortals. The punishment affected both Prometheus and humanity.

Zeus had Prometheus chained to a mountain, where an eagle repeatedly attacked his liver. For humans, Zeus ordered the gods to create Pandora. Each god contributed something to her appearance or character, and she was sent to Prometheus’s brother Epimetheus, who accepted her despite Prometheus’s warning.

The story is sometimes simplified into a tale about curiosity, but Hesiod frames it first as a conflict between divine authority and human access to fire. Pandora’s jar then becomes the source of widespread suffering in the human world.