Pandora is traditionally regarded in Greek mythology as the first woman.
In Hesiod’s account, the gods create Pandora after Zeus’s conflict with Prometheus and humanity. She is fashioned as a woman and receives qualities or gifts from several deities. Her arrival is connected to the introduction of suffering and labor into human life, although different ancient passages emphasize different parts of the story.
Calling Pandora the “first woman” describes her role within this Greek mythic genealogy, not a historical or scientific claim about human origins. Greek mythology contains other famous women, including Helen, Ariadne, and Medea, but they belong to separate stories and are not the figure identified with the first woman in Hesiod’s account.
The myth has been interpreted in many ways, including as an explanation of hardship and as a story about divine punishment. Modern retellings often focus almost entirely on the container, but Pandora’s creation and status as the first woman are central parts of the original narrative tradition.