Pandora's Box
conceptPandora's Box (properly a jar, pithos) was the container given to the first woman, Pandora, which when opened released all evils into the world — with only Hope remaining inside.
The Myth
Zeus created Pandora as punishment for Prometheus's theft of fire. Each god gave her a gift: beauty, charm, cunning, and curiosity. She was given a jar (pithos — mistranslated as "box" by Erasmus in 1508) and told never to open it. Her irresistible curiosity drove her to lift the lid. All the evils of the world — disease, death, sorrow, grief, war — flew out and spread across the earth. She slammed the lid shut just in time to trap one thing inside: Elpis (Hope). Whether Hope remaining inside is a mercy or a final cruelty remains debated.
Parents
N/A (made by the gods)
Symbols
Fun Fact
It was never a box — Pandora opened a pithos (storage jar). Erasmus mistranslated it as pyxis (box) in 1508, and the error stuck.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
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