Who opened the vessel in the Greek myth of Pandora’s Box?

Pandora opened the vessel in the Greek myth commonly known as Pandora’s Box.

According to Hesiod, Zeus had Pandora made and sent her to Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother. Prometheus had warned Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus welcomed Pandora. She arrived with a sealed vessel whose contents were associated with the troubles that would affect humanity.

When Pandora opened it, evils or harmful conditions escaped into the world. Hesiod’s account does not present the episode exactly like every modern retelling, and later writers and artists supplied details such as curiosity as her motive. The ancient text emphasizes the result more than a psychological explanation.

Pandora is therefore the subject who opens the container, while Epimetheus is the recipient of Zeus’s gift and Prometheus is the fire-bringer. These names are often confused because all three belong to the same connected mythic story.