In Greek mythology, Pandora was the woman whose vessel gave rise to the phrase “Pandora’s Box.” Hesiod names her Pandora in the Works and Days, one of the earliest surviving literary accounts of the myth.
The name is usually explained as meaning “all-gifted,” because the gods supposedly gave her different qualities. In another ancient account, Hesiod’s Theogony, she is associated with the wider story of Zeus, Prometheus, and the punishment of humanity.
Pandora is not simply described as a villain in the ancient poems. The myth reflects Greek ideas about divine power, human suffering, curiosity, marriage, and the consequences of accepting gifts from the gods. Later retellings often make her deliberate action the central moment, while the older story places greater emphasis on Zeus’s plan and the divine creation of the vessel.