In which Hesiod poem is Pandora’s story used to explain why humans must work?

Works and Days uses Pandora’s story to explain why humans must work. The poem is attributed to Hesiod and combines mythology with practical advice about farming, justice, household management, and the calendar.

In its mythological opening, Works and Days connects human suffering and labor with Zeus’s punishment after Prometheus takes fire for humanity. Pandora’s arrival and the opening of her jar introduce evils into human life, making existence harder and ending an earlier state of ease.

The poem’s purpose is broader than retelling a myth. Hesiod addresses his brother Perses and argues that honest work, justice, and proper conduct are necessary for a stable life. The Pandora episode therefore supports the poem’s central concern with labor and moral order.

Theogony also mentions Pandora, but it focuses more on the genealogy and conflicts of the gods. Works and Days is the Hesiodic poem most directly concerned with the consequences of Pandora’s arrival for everyday human life.