In Greek mythology, the first woman fashioned by the gods was named Pandora.
Her name is commonly explained from Greek elements meaning “all-gifted” or “all-giving,” reflecting the gifts the gods bestowed on her. Hesiod presents her creation in Works and Days as part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity after Prometheus gave people fire.
Pandora is often described in modern retellings as receiving a box, but the earliest surviving Greek account describes a large storage jar. The word “box” became standard through later translation and retelling. The myth also differs between ancient sources: Hesiod’s Theogony mentions Pandora but gives less narrative detail than Works and Days.
Pandora’s story became a major cultural symbol for unintended consequences. The English phrase “Pandora’s box” now describes an action that releases many unforeseen problems, even though the original Greek vessel was not specifically a small box.