Hesiod calls Pandora the “curse of mortal men” in Works and Days.
Hesiod’s portrayal is strongly shaped by the poem’s explanation of why human life contains hardship. Pandora is introduced after Zeus becomes angry over Prometheus’s theft of fire. Her creation and arrival among humans form part of Zeus’s punishment, and Hesiod uses severe language to describe the consequences.
The wording comes from an ancient literary context in which Pandora’s story explains suffering, labor, and the unequal condition of human life. It does not represent every later interpretation of Pandora, especially modern readings that emphasize her agency or treat her as a symbol of curiosity.
Hesiod wrote two major surviving poems associated with early Greek epic tradition: Works and Days and Theogony. The quoted characterization belongs specifically to Works and Days.