In Greek mythology, who was Pandora, the woman associated with the opening of Pandora’s Box?

In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman. Her creation appears in the works of the Greek poet Hesiod, who presents her as part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity after Prometheus stole fire for mortals.

The gods gave Pandora many gifts, including beauty, charm, skill, and persuasive speech. Her name is commonly interpreted as meaning “all-gifted” or “all-giving,” reflecting the gifts bestowed on her by the gods.

Pandora is often described in modern retellings as deliberately evil, but Hesiod’s account is more complicated. She is a divinely created figure whose arrival introduces suffering into human life. The familiar expression “Pandora’s Box” also slightly changes the ancient story: the earliest Greek text describes a large storage jar rather than a box.

The myth belongs to Greek poetry, not to a single canonical religious scripture. Details therefore vary among later writers, artists, translators, and modern adaptations.