In the Greek myth of Pandora, Pandora opens the container that releases the world’s troubles. Hesiod’s story places the act at the center of the myth: once the vessel is opened, harmful forces spread among human beings.
The earliest account does not present the event exactly like every modern retelling. Hesiod describes Pandora lifting the lid of the jar, after which the contents escape. The story is not primarily a suspense tale about curiosity in the modern psychological sense; it is part of a mythic explanation for why humans experience illness, toil, and other forms of suffering.
Later authors and artists often emphasize curiosity as Pandora’s motivation, but Hesiod’s wording is more compressed and does not provide a fully developed inner monologue. The popular phrase “opening Pandora’s box” now means beginning a process that releases many unforeseen problems. In the myth itself, Pandora’s action is the trigger, while Zeus’s plan and the punishment of humanity provide the broader context.