Pandora's Box

We explain what the myth of Pandora's Box is, how it can be interpreted and its different versions.

What is Pandora's box?

Pandora's box is a ancient myth of greek origin mentioned in different classic texts such as Iliadby Homer (8th century BC), and The jobs and the daysby Hesiod (7th century BC). It stars Pandora, the first woman to exist, according to Greek mythology.

According to myth, Pandora was the first woman created by the Greek gods, and was gifted with curiosity by Hermes. Zeus, the king of the gods, gave him a box, along with the instruction never to open it. However, tempted by her curiosity, Pandora opened the box, and thus released all the evils of the world such as pain, illness and poverty, among others.

Although the opening of the box released all these evils, at the end of the myth it is mentioned that hope remained within it. This suggests that Hope is the only thing that remains when all evil has been unleashed.

In modern culture, “Pandora's box” is used metaphorically to refer to a source of problems or difficulties that, once opened, triggers a series of negative or unexpected consequences.

The contents of Pandora's box

When Pandora opened the box, she released a series of evils that spread throughout the world. These evils included:

1. Diseases. The various ailments that cause suffering and weakness in human beings.
2. Poverty. Lack of resources and economic scarcity leading to need and deprivation.
3. Wars. Violent and destructive conflicts between people and nations.
4. Dolores. The physical and emotional sufferings that affect individuals on a personal level.
5. Vices. The negative attitudes and harmful behaviors that can arise in people.
6. curses. The misfortunes and calamities of fortune that affect those who suffer them.

But also, in the box there was hope: the power that can help people find strength and perseverance to face challenges.

Interpretations of Pandora's box

The myth of Pandora's Box has had different interpretations throughout history. Among them are:

• Consequences of curiosity. The myth presents a lesson about human attitude. Pandora opens the box out of curiosity, releasing evils into the world, reflecting how our impulsive actions can have unintended consequences.
• human duality. The story reflects the duality of human nature. The box releases evils along with hope, symbolizing the ability to cause harm, but also to face challenges.
• Irony and paradox. The myth highlights the irony of how something created as a punishment also contains positive elements, suggesting that even the negative can carry valuable lessons.
• Philosophical reflections. The story has inspired debates about destiny, free will and morality, exploring themes such as the nature of evil and the complexities of the human condition.

Versions of the myth of Pandora's box

The myth of Pandora's Box is one of the best known and most covered in Greek mythological tradition. According to the version contained in the Theogonyby Hesiod Pandora was created from clay by the god of the forge, Hephaestus, under the instructions of the father god Zeus. He wanted revenge on humanity for the theft of fire.

With the help of the rest of the gods, they then created Pandora, a “beautiful evil”, who was sensual and attractive as well as a liar and had an inconstant character. Then, they sent her to Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus and protector of humanity, who took her as his wife.

In The jobs and the daysHesiod adds the episode of the amphora to the myth of Pandora. It says that Pandora was not sent to humanity empty-handed, but with an amphora where the evils of humanity were contained, which until then had existed free of fatigue and illness. In her new home, Pandora opened the amphora and released all of its contents, except for hope, which lay at the bottom. This is where the commonplace comes from that “hope is the last thing to be lost.”

There are other versions of the myth of Pandora's amphora according to which what was contained were not the evils, but the goodness of humanity (something that seems to support the etymology of its name, composed of bread“everything”, and doron“gift”). According to these versions, when the amphora was opened, everything was lost forever, except hope.

However, there does not seem to be a consensus on this matter: the version told by Homer there were two amphorae available, one with the evils and the other with the virtues, and Pandora simply chose the wrong one.

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References

• Daly, K. (2004). Pandora. Greek and Roman Mythology: A to Z. Facts on File.
• Mercatante, AS and Dow, JR (2009). Pandora. World Mythology and Legend. Facts on File.
• The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2024). Pandora. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com