Pandora was the first woman in Greek mythology and the figure associated with releasing evils into the world.
According to Hesiod’s Works and Days, Zeus ordered Pandora’s creation after Prometheus gave fire to humanity. The gods gave her different attributes, including beauty, speech, skill, and curiosity. Her name is commonly interpreted as meaning “all-gifted” or “all-giving.”
Pandora was sent to Epimetheus, who accepted her despite Prometheus’s warning not to receive gifts from Zeus. Pandora later opened the vessel kept in their home, releasing troubles that had previously been absent from human life.
The familiar expression “Pandora’s box” comes from later retellings. Hesiod described a large storage jar rather than a box, and the exact details of Pandora’s actions differ among later writers and artists.