Which Greek poem describes Pandora’s creation as part of the origin of human suffering?

The story behind the answer

Works and Days describes Pandora’s creation as part of the origin of human suffering. The poem is attributed to Hesiod and combines mythology with advice about farming, justice, work, and everyday life.

In its mythological passages, Zeus responds to Prometheus’s theft of fire by arranging the creation of Pandora. The gods give her various qualities, and she becomes connected with the release of evils into the human world. This account is the main ancient source behind the expression now known as “Pandora’s box.”

Theogony is also by Hesiod and concerns the genealogy and origins of the gods, so it is an easy source to confuse with Works and Days. However, Works and Days is the poem most directly associated with the detailed Pandora episode and its explanation of why mortals face labor and hardship.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

Add question to a list

Choose a list to keep this question in: