In Greek mythology, evils escaped from Pandora’s opened vessel and began afflicting humanity.
Hesiod’s story describes the container as holding harmful forces or troubles that had previously been kept away from human life. When Pandora opens it, these evils fly out and spread among people. The myth therefore provides a traditional explanation for why suffering, disease, toil, and other hardships exist in the human condition.
Different translations use related terms such as “ills,” “evils,” or “miseries.” “Evils” is the concise standard answer, while the exact list varies among translators and later retellings. The story does not describe a modern physical box filled with individually named objects.
One element remains inside after the vessel is closed: hope. That detail has generated centuries of debate, including whether hope is presented as a consolation or as another force kept from humanity. The core sequence, however, is consistent in popular versions: the vessel opens, troubles escape, and hope remains behind.