In Hesiod’s story, evils escape from Pandora’s container.
Works and Days says that Pandora opens the vessel, allowing countless troubles to fly out and spread among humanity. The passage connects the act with the explanation of why people experience suffering, disease, and other hardships.
The familiar English expression “Pandora’s box” is based on this episode, but Hesiod describes a jar or large storage vessel rather than a box. The “box” wording became standard through later translation and retelling. The container’s exact material or shape is less important to the ancient explanation than what it contains.
Hope is treated separately in the myth. Hesiod says that Hope remains inside after the other evils escape, although interpreters disagree about whether this is comforting, ambiguous, or part of the punishment. The central released contents, however, are the evils or troubles afflicting human life.