Erasmus first published his proverb collection Adagia in 1500.
Adagia began as a collection of classical Greek and Latin sayings and grew substantially in later editions. Erasmus explained the meanings and origins of the proverbs, making ancient literary references accessible to Renaissance readers.
The Pandora association is important because Hesiod’s original story describes a jar rather than a box. Through Renaissance scholarship, translation, and editorial interpretation, the container became increasingly identified with a box, producing the familiar modern expression.
The first edition was much shorter than the expanded editions Erasmus later issued. Readers sometimes confuse 1500 with 1508, a later edition associated with the work’s expansion and wider influence. The key date for the first publication is 1500.