Hesiod first describes Pandora as a punishment connected with Prometheus’s theft of fire.
Hesiod, an early Greek poet traditionally dated to the late eighth or early seventh century BCE, tells the story in both the Theogony and Works and Days. In his account, Prometheus tricks Zeus and later steals fire for humans. Zeus responds by ordering the creation of Pandora, whose arrival introduces suffering into human life.
This is not simply a story about curiosity. Hesiod frames Pandora within a conflict between Zeus and Prometheus, making her part of a divine punishment narrative. The two Hesiodic poems emphasize related but different aspects of the episode.
Homer is sometimes named because he is another foundational Greek poet, but the surviving Pandora narrative is associated specifically with Hesiod. Later authors and artists expanded the story in many directions.