Which ancient Greek poem tells how Pandora released troubles into the human world?

Works and Days tells how Pandora released troubles into the human world.

The poem is attributed to Hesiod and is one of the earliest surviving works of Greek literature. It combines practical advice about farming and seafaring with reflections on justice, labor, the gods, and human life. The Pandora episode appears in this broader discussion of why suffering and hard work exist.

In the poem, Zeus’s anger toward Prometheus leads to the creation of Pandora. After she reaches Epimetheus, she opens the large storage jar and releases the harmful forces kept inside. Hope remains within the vessel after the lid is closed. This account is the principal ancient source behind the modern expression “Pandora’s box.”

The Iliad and the Odyssey are also foundational Greek poems, but neither is the source of the Pandora-and-jar story. The poem’s title is often translated as Works and Days because it addresses both productive labor and the proper timing of agricultural activities.