In Greek mythology, Hesiod is the first writer to name Pandora in the surviving ancient literary record.
Pandora appears in two works attributed to Hesiod: Theogony and Works and Days. Theogony gives a brief account of her creation, while Works and Days supplies the more developed story involving Zeus, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and the container of evils. These poems are generally dated to the eighth or early seventh century BCE.
Hesiod’s account is the earliest surviving literary version, not necessarily proof that no earlier oral stories existed. Ancient Greek myths circulated orally for long periods before being written down, so the surviving texts record only what has come down to us.
Homer is another foundational Greek poet, but Pandora is not a central figure in the surviving Homeric epics. Ovid later wrote influential Roman mythology, yet his works postdate Hesiod by several centuries.