In Greek mythology, Pandora opened the jar later called Pandora’s Box.
Hesiod’s Works and Days tells how the gods sent Pandora to Epimetheus, who accepted her despite Prometheus’s warning not to accept gifts from Zeus. Pandora was given a sealed container, although the earliest Greek account describes it as a large storage jar rather than a box.
When Pandora opened it, destructive forces escaped into the world. The story explains why human life contains suffering and hardship. Hope remained inside, according to the traditional version, though scholars debate whether it was trapped in the jar or released after the other forces.
The phrase “Pandora’s Box” became common through later translations and retellings. The original Greek word was pithos, meaning a large jar, not a small box. Epimetheus is sometimes mistakenly named as the opener, but Hesiod’s narrative assigns that action to Pandora.