In Greek mythology, Pandora was created as the first woman among humans. Her name is associated with the gifts given to her by the gods, and her story appears most fully in Hesiod’s poem Works and Days.
According to Hesiod, the god Hephaestus formed Pandora from earth at Zeus’s command. Other gods gave her qualities or possessions, including beauty, skill, and curiosity. Hermes then brought her to humanity as part of Zeus’s punishment after Prometheus stole fire for humans.
Pandora is often described in modern retellings as opening a box, but Hesiod wrote about a large storage jar. The familiar “box” wording came through later translation and popular culture. The myth is also distinct from later artistic and literary versions that change Pandora’s role or personality.