In the Greek myth of Pandora, evils escaped when she opened the container.
Hesiod’s Works and Days describes Pandora opening a large storage vessel after receiving it from Zeus. The contents are not presented as ordinary objects but as harmful troubles that then spread among humanity. The story explains why human life contains suffering, illness, and other hardships that were previously absent or less familiar.
The popular English expression calls the object “Pandora’s box,” but the ancient Greek word refers more accurately to a large jar or storage vessel. The myth also says that something remained inside after the evils escaped, creating a separate and important part of the story.
Modern retellings sometimes say Pandora released every evil imaginable, but Hesiod’s account does not provide a complete itemized list. It gives a mythic explanation for the presence of troubles in human life rather than a detailed catalogue.