In the Greek myth of Pandora’s jar, what action released the evils into the world?

In the Greek myth of Pandora’s jar, opening the jar released the evils into the world. Hesiod’s account presents Pandora as opening the container after receiving it from the gods.

The jar contained destructive forces or miseries that had not previously afflicted humanity. Once Pandora opened it, they flew out and spread among people. She then closed the container, leaving hope inside according to the ancient story.

Later retellings often describe the object as a box, but the Greek source uses the word pithos, meaning a large storage jar. The substitution of “box” is generally associated with Renaissance-era interpretation and translation rather than with Hesiod’s original wording.

The myth is commonly used as an explanation for why suffering exists in human life. In modern English, “to open Pandora’s box” means to begin a process that creates many unexpected problems.