In Hesiod’s poem Works and Days, the first woman created by the gods was called Pandora.
Pandora appears in one of the earliest surviving Greek literary accounts of the origin of human troubles. Hesiod describes the gods preparing her after Zeus decided to punish humanity for Prometheus’s theft of fire. Each deity contributes something to her appearance, abilities, or equipment, and Hermes gives her a deceptive character.
The name Pandora is usually connected with the idea that all the gods gave her gifts. The myth’s wording and interpretation are complex, but the name clearly emphasizes divine contributions. Pandora is then taken to Epimetheus, who accepts her despite Prometheus’s warning.
Pandora is not the same figure as the later literary or artistic uses of her name. The mythological woman inspired paintings, poems, films, and scientific names, but Hesiod’s Pandora is specifically the divine creation whose opened jar becomes the source of worldly suffering. Her story is distinct from myths about Helen, Europa, or other famous women of Greek legend.