In Greek mythology, Zeus gave Pandora the jar that contained hidden evils. Hesiod presents Zeus as the divine ruler who devised Pandora as part of his punishment of humanity after Prometheus stole fire for mortals.
The container is commonly called a box in English, but the ancient Greek word was pithos, meaning a large storage jar. Pandora was told not to open it, yet curiosity led her to lift the lid and release the destructive forces within.
The myth is often simplified into a story about curiosity alone. In Hesiod’s account, however, Pandora is part of Zeus’s deliberate plan against humankind, and the jar episode follows the conflict between Zeus and Prometheus. The later familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” comes from a Renaissance translation error.