In Greek mythology, Pandora opened a jar, releasing the world’s troubles.
The famous expression “Pandora’s box” comes from a Greek myth recorded in ancient literature. Pandora was given a sealed container and instructed not to open it. When she did, destructive forces escaped into the human world. The story explains why suffering, illness, and other hardships exist while also preserving a small source of comfort.
The original Greek word was pithos, meaning a large storage jar, rather than a small box. The “box” wording became standard because of a sixteenth-century Latin translation by Erasmus. The mistranslation became so influential that it replaced the more historically accurate image in many modern retellings.
The myth is often confused with a simple cautionary tale about curiosity. In Hesiod’s version, Pandora’s arrival is also part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity after Prometheus gave humans fire. The jar is therefore connected to divine retaliation as well as human curiosity.