In the Greek myth of Pandora, what does Zeus use Pandora to punish humans for receiving?

In the Greek myth of Pandora, Zeus uses her to punish humans for receiving fire from Prometheus.

Prometheus is a Titan who helps humanity in several Greek traditions. In the account associated with Hesiod, he deceives Zeus during a sacrifice and later steals fire for humans, hiding it in a fennel stalk. Zeus responds by arranging a punishment for both Prometheus and humanity.

Pandora is created and sent to Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother. Her arrival introduces suffering into the human world after she opens the sealed container. The story thus links Pandora directly to the conflict over fire, rather than portraying her appearance as an unrelated event.

Different ancient authors tell the Prometheus story with variations, and later retellings often make Pandora’s container a “box.” Hesiod’s Works and Days calls it a large storage jar, while the fire theft is most strongly associated with Prometheus’s broader mythic cycle.