Which ancient Greek poem first tells the full story of Pandora’s jar?

Works and Days is the ancient Greek poem that first tells the full story of Pandora’s jar.

The poem is attributed to Hesiod, who probably composed it in the late eighth or early seventh century BCE. In its account, Zeus orders the creation of Pandora after Prometheus steals fire for humanity. Pandora is sent to Epimetheus, and when she opens the storage jar, evils escape into the world while hope remains inside.

Hesiod also refers to Pandora in the Theogony, but that shorter passage does not provide the complete jar episode. This distinction matters because the two poems are sometimes treated as if they told exactly the same version of the myth.

Works and Days is not only a collection of myths. It is also a didactic poem about farming, justice, work, social conduct, and the difficult conditions of human life. The Pandora episode appears within that larger argument, helping explain why humans experience toil and suffering rather than living in an effortless golden age.