Pandora was the first woman created by the gods in the Greek myth commonly called Pandora’s box.
The earliest surviving literary account appears in Hesiod’s Works and Days, written in ancient Greece. Zeus ordered Pandora’s creation after Prometheus gave fire to humanity. Different gods contributed gifts, including beauty, craftsmanship, and persuasive speech, while Hermes gave her a deceptive nature.
Pandora was sent to Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother. Although Prometheus had warned him not to accept gifts from Zeus, Epimetheus welcomed Pandora. The story then connects her with the release of evils into the human world.
Modern retellings often describe a box, but ancient Greek sources describe a large storage jar. Pandora’s name is commonly interpreted as “all-gifted” or “all-giving,” reflecting the gods’ contributions to her creation.