Pandora is the Greek name of the divine woman whose story became known as Pandora’s Box.
Her name is commonly explained from Greek elements meaning “all” and “gifts,” reflecting the myth that the gods each gave her a quality or attribute. Hesiod presents her as the first woman, created after Prometheus gave fire to humanity and Zeus decided to punish mortals.
Pandora was shaped by Hephaestus and endowed by other gods before being sent to Epimetheus. In Hesiod’s account, she opened a storage jar containing destructive forces, while Hope remained inside after the lid was replaced.
The story is often treated as a simple warning about curiosity, but ancient Greek versions also address gender, labor, suffering, divine power, and the limits of human knowledge. Pandora is not the same figure as Eve, although later commentators sometimes compare the two as female figures connected with the arrival of hardship.