Hesiod’s Works and Days contains the fullest surviving ancient Greek account of Pandora opening her vessel.
Works and Days is a didactic poem traditionally attributed to Hesiod, probably composed around the seventh century BCE. It combines advice about farming, justice, labor, and seasonal timekeeping with mythological stories that explain the human condition.
The Pandora episode appears as part of Hesiod’s explanation for why suffering and difficult work exist in the world. Zeus has Pandora created and sends her to Epimetheus, who accepts her despite Prometheus’s warning. When she opens the covered vessel, hardships escape into the world, while hope remains inside.
The story is sometimes associated with Hesiod’s Theogony, which also mentions Pandora-related events, but Works and Days provides the extended narrative. It is also the source most often used when discussing the jar, Pandora’s curiosity, and the arrival of evils among humans.