Pandora's box

In greek mythology, Pandora (Πανδώρα) was the first woman, made by order of Zeus to introduce evil in human life after the titan Prometheus stole the fire that the sun god carried on his chariot and gave it to the humans.

The first two appearances of Pandora in Greek literature occur in "Theogony" and "Works and Days" both works of Hesiod. When mortals and Immortals separated, Prometheus hatched a deceit so that in the future, in the making of sacrifices to the gods, they could keep the meat and viscera for themselves. Zeus, angered by the scheme, denied fire to men, but Prometheus stole it for them.

Zeus ordered Hephaestus to model a clay image with the figure of a lovely maiden, similar in beauty to the immortal, and to give life to her. But while he sent Aphrodite to give her grace and sensuality and Athena along with the Graces and the Hours to give her domain of the arts related to the loom and garnish, Hermes job was to sow lies, seduction and a voluble character in her. This all in order to set up a "beautiful evil", a gift that men are glad to receive, actually accepting countless misfortunes. Then Zeus sent her to the home of Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus, who despite having been warned of the impending vengeance of Zeus accepted his gift and married her.

Hesiod states that mankind have lived free of fatigue and disease, but Pandora opened a jar that contained all the evils (the expression "Pandora's box" is a deformation Renaissance) releasing all human misfortunes. The amphora was closed just before that hope was liberated.

There are other versions of the myth which tell the jar contained goods and not evils. The opening of the jar caused the goods to fly back to the mansions of the gods, removing themselves from the life of men, who live on only afflicted by evil... and who could only keep hope.