Evils escaped from Pandora’s jar before she closed it. In Hesiod’s account, the container held destructive troubles that spread through the human world after Pandora opened it.
The poem describes diseases and other hardships as previously concealed from humans. Once released, they move among people, bringing suffering and making mortal life difficult. The story is not simply about curiosity; it is also an explanation of why human existence contains pain, illness, labor, and uncertainty.
Many modern retellings say that “all the evils” escaped and that hope alone remained inside. Hesiod’s wording is more complex, and translations differ in how they describe what was released and what remained. The central image is stable: hidden afflictions leave the vessel, while the final contents of the jar are associated with hope. That distinction is why the myth is often discussed as both a punishment story and a reflection on endurance.