In Greek mythology, Pandora opened the container associated with Pandora.
The familiar story says that Pandora opened the vessel Zeus had sent to her household, allowing the troubles contained inside to spread through the world. The act is the central turning point of the modern Pandora’s-box tradition and explains why the phrase now describes an action that creates many unforeseen problems.
Hesiod’s surviving account is more restrained than many later retellings. It identifies the vessel as a pithos, or large jar, and describes Pandora as lifting its lid. Later versions and artistic interpretations often show a small box, which is why the popular title differs from the ancient wording.
The story is sometimes told as though curiosity alone caused Pandora to act, but Hesiod does not present the episode as a simple modern moral about curiosity. It belongs to a wider explanation of why human life includes toil, disease, and hardship. The vessel’s remaining contents are also treated differently across versions and translations.