In Hesiod’s Works and Days, the woman Zeus created as a punishment for humanity was Pandora.
Hesiod presents Pandora as the first woman in Greek mythology. Zeus ordered her creation after Prometheus tricked the gods and stole fire for humans. Different gods contributed qualities or gifts, helping explain her name, which is commonly interpreted as “all-gifted.”
Pandora’s story is often summarized as opening a box, but Hesiod describes a large jar. The “box” wording became standard much later through translation and artistic tradition. The container held troubles that had previously been absent from human life.
Pandora is closely connected with Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother. Although Prometheus warned Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus, Epimetheus welcomed Pandora, and the familiar catastrophe followed. The myth is therefore both an origin story for human suffering and a reflection of Greek ideas about divine punishment.