Pandora was the first woman in Greek mythology. She was created by Hephaestus as retribution after Prometheus stole fire from heaven. Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship, to create a woman whose descendants would torment all men.

Mythology

Hephaestus created Pandora from earth and water, and she was given gifts from the gods. Aphrodite bestowed beauty upon her, Apollo gave her the gift of music, and Hermes gave her the gift of persuasion.

Athena dressed Pandora in a silver gown and placed upon her head an ornate gold crown and an embroidered veil. She was adorned with garlands and then presented to the mortals, who were frozen in wonder.

In her hands, Pandora carried a jar filled with all of the evils of mankind – greed, vanity, envy, slander, pining, toil, sickness, disease, and pain.

Pandora was presented as a gift to Prometheus’ brother, Epimetheus, as a gift from the gods. Prometheus had feared Zeus’ retribution, and warned his brother not to accept the gift. Epimetheus ignored the warning and accepted Pandora, a name given to her by Hermes meaning “all gifted,” as she carried with her a gift from each of the gods.

Along with all of her other gifts, Pandora was given an intense curiosity. She had been told not to open the jar she held under any circumstances, but she wanted to know what was inside. She opened the jar, unleashing all of the evils held within into the world. She tried to close the lid, but was unable to put the lid back in place until after nearly everything has escaped. When she closed the jar, the only thing left inside was hope.

In his writing Works and Days, Hesiod writes this of Pandora:

From her is the race of women and female kind:
of her is the deadly race and tribe of women who
live amongst mortal men to their great trouble,
no helpmeets in hateful poverty, but only wealth.

He continues on to say that no man can escape the evil of marriage, not even those who avoid marriage altogether. He ends by saying that a man may find a good wife, but still she will be beset by evil.

Other gifts said to have been bestowed upon Pandora included knowledge of weaving and needlework from Athena, grace and cruel longing that wearies a man from Aphrodite, and a shameful and deceitful nature combined with the power of crafty words and lies from Hermes. The Charities and Persuasion gave her the gifts of necklaces and jewelry, and Horae gave her the garlands. Her name was chosen by Hermes, because she was given gifts from each of the Olympians.

When Pandora opened the jar and unleashed all of the evil deeds into the world, the mortals realized it was the work of Zeus and that his punishment of the mortals was complete.

Epimetheus went on to marry Pandora and have many children with her. Their daughters were also said to be a curse to the good of mankind.

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