In Greek mythology, who opened Pandora’s vessel?

In the best-known Greek myth, Pandora opened the vessel herself. Hesiod’s Works and Days describes Pandora as being given a large storage jar and instructed not to open it; when she did, the contents escaped into the world.

The story explains the presence of suffering and hardship among humans. After the evils flew out, Pandora closed the vessel, leaving hope inside according to the interpretation of Hesiod’s account. The ancient Greek word was pithos, a large jar or storage container, not specifically a small box.

Pandora’s act is often presented as simple curiosity, but ancient versions are more complicated than the modern moral tale. Zeus, Prometheus, and Epimetheus all belong to the surrounding story, yet none of them opens the vessel in Hesiod’s account. Later retellings popularized the phrase “Pandora’s box,” while translations and artistic adaptations changed some details.