In Greek mythology, Hesiod gives the earliest surviving literary account of Pandora. His poems Works and Days and Theogony preserve important versions of the story in archaic Greek literature.
Hesiod is generally dated to the late eighth or early seventh century BCE, although the exact dates remain uncertain. Works and Days presents Pandora in the context of labor, justice, human hardship, and the consequences of Prometheus’s actions.
Theogony also refers to Pandora-related events, but the fuller narrative details appear in Works and Days. These poems are the principal ancient sources behind later versions of the myth.
Homer is another foundational Greek poet, but the surviving Homeric epics do not provide the standard Pandora story. Ovid wrote much later in Latin, so he cannot be the earliest surviving literary source for this Greek myth.