In Hesiod’s Works and Days, why was Pandora created according to the myth?

In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Pandora was created to punish humanity.

The story follows Prometheus’ theft of fire for humans. Zeus responds by arranging the creation of a woman whose arrival will bring suffering to humankind. The gods give her various attributes, and she is sent to the human world carrying the sealed vessel.

Hesiod’s version is part of a larger explanation for why human life includes labor, illness, and hardship. It is closely connected to the myth of the Five Ages of Man, in which the current human condition is presented as worse than earlier ages.

Modern summaries sometimes describe Pandora as simply “curious,” but Hesiod’s account frames the episode within divine punishment and the consequences of Prometheus’ act. It also reflects the gender assumptions of archaic Greek poetry, so contemporary retellings often revise the story’s emphasis and portray Pandora with greater agency.