In Hesiod’s Works and Days, what did Pandora release by opening her jar?

In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Pandora released human evils by opening her jar.

Hesiod describes the vessel as containing destructive forces that had previously been kept away from humanity. When Pandora lifts the lid, the evils fly out and spread among people. The poem uses this event to explain why human life includes sickness, toil, and other forms of suffering.

The story belongs to Hesiod’s broader account of the human condition. In the same poem, he connects the arrival of Pandora with Zeus’s punishment after Prometheus stole fire for mortals. Pandora is not described as opening a container of a single named disaster; the contents are a collection of harmful forces.

The popular phrase “Pandora’s box” often makes the episode sound like a simple cautionary tale about curiosity. Hesiod’s version is broader and more tragic: the jar helps explain why troubles are woven into ordinary human existence. Hope’s special status at the end of the episode is why many later versions contrast the released evils with one thing that remained behind.