Pandora opens the container in Hesiod’s Greek myth.
In Works and Days, the gods create Pandora and send her to Epimetheus, who accepts her despite Prometheus’s warning not to accept gifts from Zeus. Pandora then opens the vessel, releasing the evils or troubles that had been contained within it.
The story is frequently retold as though Pandora deliberately commits a calculated act of rebellion, but Hesiod’s account is more focused on divine design, curiosity, and the origins of human suffering. Ancient wording also describes a jar rather than the familiar modern “box.”
The myth’s ending includes Hope, which remains inside or is otherwise treated separately depending on translation and interpretation. That detail has generated centuries of debate about whether Hope is a blessing, another burden, or a provision for humans facing hardship.