Which Greek poem gives the fullest surviving account of Pandora opening the jar?

Works and Days gives the fullest surviving account of Pandora opening the jar.

The poem is attributed to Hesiod and is usually dated to the late eighth or early seventh century BCE. It combines practical advice about farming and household life with reflections on justice, labor, and human hardship. The Pandora episode appears as an explanation for why mortals live with suffering and toil.

The Theogony also refers to Pandora, but it offers a shorter and less complete version of the episode. Works and Days names Pandora, describes her creation, identifies her connection with Epimetheus, and recounts the release of evils from the vessel. It also preserves the detail that Hope remains inside.

The Iliad and the Odyssey are Homeric epics, not the principal surviving source for Pandora’s jar story. Later authors and artists expanded the myth, but Hesiod’s Works and Days remains the key ancient literary source for the narrative most people recognize.