In Greek mythology, Zeus gave Pandora the jar that contained the world’s evils.
Hesiod presents Pandora’s creation as part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity after Prometheus stole fire for mortals. Zeus ordered the gods to create Pandora and arranged for her to be presented to Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother. The container she received was associated with Zeus’s plan to bring suffering to human life.
A common mix-up is to identify Prometheus as the owner or giver of the jar. Prometheus opposed Zeus and warned Epimetheus not to accept gifts from the Olympian ruler. Epimetheus ignored that warning, accepted Pandora, and the chain of events led to the jar being opened.
The surviving myth does not describe Zeus handing over a small modern box in a staged scene. Instead, later summaries compress several events: Pandora’s creation, her arrival among humans, the vessel’s presence, and its opening. Zeus remains the decisive divine figure behind the punishment.