In the Greek myth of Pandora, Zeus ordered her creation after Prometheus gave fire to humans.
Hesiod presents Pandora as part of Zeus’s response to Prometheus’s deception and theft of fire. Prometheus had tricked Zeus in a sacrificial division and later taken fire for humanity. Zeus then devised a countermeasure that would bring suffering to humans while appearing to be a gift.
He instructed Hephaestus to shape Pandora from earth. Other gods contributed abilities, ornaments, or traits, making her a divinely assembled figure. Hermes then brought her to Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother. Although Prometheus had warned Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus, Epimetheus accepted Pandora.
The myth is not simply a story about curiosity. In Hesiod’s version, Pandora’s arrival is also an explanation for why human life includes labor, disease, and other hardships. Later retellings often focus almost entirely on the opening of the jar and omit the earlier conflict involving Prometheus and Zeus.