Hesiod gives the earliest surviving literary account of Pandora in ancient Greek poetry. His two works, Theogony and Works and Days, are the central surviving sources for the myth.
The fullest narrative appears in Works and Days, probably composed in the late eighth or early seventh century BCE. Hesiod describes Pandora’s creation as a punishment arranged by Zeus after Prometheus stole fire for humanity.
The popular title “Pandora’s box” reflects a later transformation of the story. Hesiod describes a large storage jar, or pithos, rather than a small box. The familiar box became standard in many later European retellings.
Hesiod’s version also differs from modern summaries: Pandora is not simply an unlucky woman, but a divinely created figure whose arrival explains why suffering and difficult labor entered human life.