Which Greek poem first describes Pandora opening the container that released troubles?

The Greek poem that first describes Pandora opening the container that released troubles is Works and Days.

Works and Days is an didactic poem traditionally attributed to Hesiod, an early Greek poet usually dated to the late eighth or early seventh century BCE. Its Pandora narrative explains why human life includes toil, illness, and other hardships. The poem describes a jar kept in the household and says that Pandora opened it, allowing evils to spread among humans.

Hesiod also mentions Pandora in Theogony, but that poem gives a shorter account of her creation and does not provide the same full container-opening episode. This distinction is important because people often attribute every detail of the myth to Theogony or to a later retelling.

The familiar English phrase “Pandora’s box” is also later than Hesiod’s wording. The original Greek story concerns a pithos, commonly translated as a large storage jar. “Box” became standard through later translation and artistic tradition.