In Greek mythology, what was Pandora told to do with the jar Zeus gave her?

In Greek mythology, Pandora was told to keep the jar closed. The container held evils intended to remain separated from humanity, but Pandora eventually lifted its lid and allowed them to escape.

Hesiod’s version does not make the jar a simple household curiosity. It is part of Zeus’s plan following Prometheus’s theft of fire. Pandora is sent to Epimetheus, and the dangerous container accompanies her. The instruction to keep it closed establishes the story’s central choice: obey a prohibition or investigate what has been hidden.

The commonly used phrase “Pandora’s box” can obscure the original detail. Ancient Greek pithoi were large storage jars, and Hesiod’s word is generally translated as “jar,” not “box.” The change in object probably arose through a Renaissance translation and became fixed in later European languages.

The story is also often retold as if curiosity alone caused the disaster. Hesiod’s poem focuses more broadly on Zeus’s punishment and the arrival of evils in human life. Pandora’s action is the immediate mechanism, while the larger cause lies in the conflict between Zeus, Prometheus, and humanity.