In Greek mythology, Zeus ordered the gods to create Pandora as punishment for Prometheus's gift of fire.
Prometheus had taken fire and given it to humans, defying Zeus's wishes and changing the balance between gods and mortals. Zeus responded by planning a different kind of punishment: a woman fashioned by the gods and sent to humanity. Hesiod's account connects this decision to the wider explanation of why human life includes labor, disease, and suffering.
The gods contributed different qualities to Pandora. Hephaestus shaped her, while other deities supplied gifts or abilities. Hermes carried her to Epimetheus, Prometheus's brother, despite Prometheus's warning to reject gifts from Zeus.
Later retellings often simplify the story into a single act of curiosity, but the original myth begins with Zeus's retaliation against Prometheus. Pandora's arrival is therefore part of a larger story about fire, divine authority, and the human condition.