According to Greek mythology, the first mortal woman, Pandora, was created on Zeus’s orders as a punishment for mankind. But the story of Pandora actually started long before she was even created. It began when Prometheus, a Titan, stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind.

Zeus, king of the gods, carefully guarded his secrets, and he was furious with Prometheus. He punished Prometheus by chaining him to a rock for eternity. Every day an eagle ripped out his liver and ate it, and each night it grew back.

Zeus decided to get revenge on man in a different way: he ordered Hephaestus, the god of craftmanship, to create Pandora, meaning “all-gifted.” Hephaestus molded Pandora from earth and water, and each of the gods gave her different gifts: beauty, grace, manual dexterity, foolishness, idleness, boldness, cunning, charm, and curiosity.

Pandora was also given a mysterious pithos, a large jar or urn. The gods told her to never, under any circumstances, open it. The jar, often called “Pandora’s box,” contained other “gifts” from Zeus. These gifts were all the evils of mankind: sickness, pain, despair, hunger, hardship, and more. But the jar also contained hope.

Then Hermes took Pandora down from Mount Olympus to earth. He gave her to Epimetheus, the brother of Prometheus and creator of mankind, as a gift. Prometheus had warned his brother to never accept a gift from Zeus. But Epimetheus fell deeply in love with Pandora and forgot his brother’s advice.

Pandora, who was extremely curious thanks to her gifts from the gods, opened the jar. Before this time, there were no evils in the world, and mankind lived in peace. But when Pandora opened the pithos, she released all the evils that had been trapped inside into the world. When Pandora finally managed to close the lid again, only hope remained inside.