In Greek mythology, Pandora opened the sealed vessel that released suffering into the world.
Hesiod presents Pandora as a woman created by the gods after Zeus’s conflict with Prometheus. She is sent to Prometheus’s brother Epimetheus, who accepts her despite Prometheus’s warning not to receive gifts from Zeus. Pandora later opens the container, allowing its harmful contents to spread among humanity.
The story is often simplified into the claim that curiosity alone caused every human hardship. Hesiod’s version is more layered: the gods deliberately construct Pandora as part of Zeus’s punishment, and her actions occur within a larger conflict over fire, divine authority, and human labor.
The original story used a storage jar rather than a box. The modern phrase therefore reflects a translation history as well as the ancient myth.