In Greek mythology, evils escaped from Pandora’s jar and spread suffering among humans. Hesiod describes the vessel as containing destructive forces or troubles that had previously been kept away from human life.
The story is not a detailed catalogue of individual diseases or monsters. Its wording is broad, presenting the contents as evils that include the hardships of mortal existence. Once Pandora opens the vessel, these forces fly out and become part of the human condition. Hope remains behind when the container is closed.
This episode functions as an etiological myth: it explains why people experience pain, labor, illness, and other difficulties. The story is often simplified into the idea that Pandora released “all the world’s evils,” but the surviving ancient wording and translations differ in nuance. “Evils” is therefore more accurate than naming one particular category such as disease or curses.