In Greek mythology, what was Pandora created to punish humanity for?

In Greek mythology, Pandora was created to punish humanity for Prometheus’s theft of fire.

Prometheus had taken fire from the gods and given it to humans, an act that improved human life but defied Zeus’s authority. Zeus responded by arranging a gift that appeared beneficial but brought suffering to the human world.

Hesiod’s Works and Days presents Pandora as part of this punishment. The gods contributed different qualities and skills to her, and Zeus sent her to Epimetheus. Once her container was opened, diseases, toil, and other troubles spread among humans.

The story is not identical in every ancient source. Hesiod’s accounts differ in emphasis, and later writers and artists expanded Pandora’s role. Still, the connection between Prometheus’s fire theft and Pandora’s creation is the central causal pattern in the best-known version.