Pandora opened the container that released evils into the world in the Greek myth. Hesiod presents her as the first woman, created under Zeus’s instructions after Prometheus gave humans fire.
The gods equip Pandora with gifts or attributes, and Hermes brings her to Epimetheus. Although Prometheus had warned his brother not to accept gifts from Zeus, Epimetheus receives Pandora. The vessel associated with her is then opened, allowing the evils inside to escape.
Many modern retellings say Pandora opened the container because she was irresistibly curious. Hesiod’s surviving account does not provide that exact psychological explanation in the detailed form now familiar. Later literature and art developed curiosity into a central part of her character.
The story is also often simplified as a tale of one woman causing all human suffering. Hesiod’s version is more specifically a divine punishment connected to Prometheus’s theft of fire, and it reflects ancient Greek assumptions that differ sharply from modern views.