In Greek mythology, Pandora was the woman who opened the forbidden container. Her name comes from the Greek Πανδώρα, commonly interpreted as “all-gifted” or “gifted by all,” because the gods gave her various qualities and gifts.
Hesiod presents Pandora as part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity after Prometheus stole fire. The gods fashioned her and sent her to Epimetheus, who accepted her despite Prometheus’s warning not to accept gifts from Zeus. Pandora then opened the container associated with her story.
The familiar English phrase “Pandora’s box” is slightly misleading. Hesiod described a large storage jar, or pithos, not a small box. Later translations and retellings changed the object into a box, helping create the modern expression for an action that releases many unexpected problems.