In Hesiod’s Theogony, Pandora is introduced as a “beautiful evil” for humanity. The phrase summarizes Zeus’s purpose in sending her after Prometheus deceived him and stole fire for mortals.
The Theogony’s wording differs from the more extended account in Works and Days. In the Theogony, Pandora’s creation is presented briefly as part of the chain of consequences following the fire theft. Works and Days supplies more details about the gods’ gifts, her arrival at Epimetheus’s home, and the jar.
Translations vary considerably, so the phrase may appear as “a beautiful evil,” “a lovely evil,” or closely related wording. The underlying Greek concept is stable: Pandora is described as an evil fashioned with an attractive exterior. This is not the same as saying she was physically evil in every later retelling; it reflects Hesiod’s strongly negative explanation of the origin of human suffering.