'It was just a simple box. What was in it? Could it be gold, or silver, even precious stones?

Surely just ta ing a very !uic loo inside couldn't do any harm " could it?' #he myth o$ %andora&s box #he myth o$ %andora&s box is considered one o$ the most descriptive myths o$ human behaviour in 'ree the human race. Pandora, the first woman on Earth %andora was, according to the myth, the $irst woman on )arth. She was created by 'ods* each one o$ them gave her a gi$t, thus, her name in 'ree means +the one who bears all gi$ts,. %andora was created as a punishment to the man ind* -eus wanted to punish people because %rometheus stole the $ire to give it to them. .er gi$ts were beauti$ully evil, according to .esiod. .ephaestus created her $rom clay, shaping her per$ectly, (phrodite gave her $emininity and (thena taught her cra$ts. .ermes was ordered by -eus to teach her to be deceit$ul, stubborn and curious. Pandoras box mythology. (ncient 'ree s used this myth not only to instruct themselves about the wea nesses o$ humans, but also to explain several mis$ortunes o$

%andora was given a box or a jar, called +pithos, in 'ree . 'ods told her that the box contained special gi$ts $rom them but she was not allowed to open the box ever. #hen .ermes too her to )pimetheus, brother o$ %rometheus, to be his wi$e. %rometheus had advised )pimetheus not to accept anything $rom the 'ods, but he saw %andora and was astonished by her beauty, thus he accepted her right away.

%andora was trying to tame her curiosity, but at the end she could not hold hersel$ anymore* she opened the box and all the illnesses and hardships that gods had hidden in the box started coming out. %andora was scared, because she saw all the evil spirits coming out and tried to close the box as $ast as possible, closing .ope inside. (ccording to .esiod .ope indeed stayed inside because that was -eus& will* he wanted to let people su$$er in order to understand that they should not disobey their gods. %andora was the right person to do it, because she was curious enough, but not malicious. #he myth o$ %andora&s box has been $ascinating people since ever, catching the imagination o$ countless artists, who created $rescos, mosaics and sculptures depicting %andora and the mythological elements. #he myth itsel$ though appears in many di$$erent versions* the most distinctive di$$erence is that in some myths .ope does come out. #he main purpose o$ the myth o$ %andora though is to address the !uestion o$ why evil exists in the world. Pandora's Box - origins What type of myth is this? %andora&s box is an origin myth / the attempt to explain the beginning o$ something. %eople have always wanted to now why things happen in the world the way they do. 0e$ore there was much science, they did not have much understanding o$ how the world wor s, but they still wanted to now, just as much as we do. .uman curiosity always as s why .. and then human creativity $inds ways o$ giving an answer. #here are many myths, across all cultures, which attempt to explain the beginnings o$ human beings and why there are evil things li e disease, hate and war in the world. In many stories, these evils are released because humans disobey gods. 1ou may li e to compare the story o$ %andora with the story o$ (dam and )ve. 2o you now any other similar stories $rom other cultures?

How did the myth arise?

3riginally a 4ar? It arose as a way o$ explaining why dread$ul things happened, such as people getting sic and dying. (s in many origin myths, man had lived in a world without worry / until this jar 5 box was opened, which contained ills $or man ind. -eus new that %andora&s curiosity would mean that she could not stop hersel$ $rom opening it, especially when he had told her that she must not do so6 7any other myths also explain the ills o$ the world by saying they are caused by human disobedience o$ a god&s instructions. 8#hough some versions o$ this story say that the box was a real gi$t and the box held good things $or man ind, which %andora let escape $rom the box, and $ly away $orever, only catching .ope.9 )ven .ope itsel$ has been argued about by scholars / not everyone agreeing that it is a great good / that maybe -eus meant it as an evil also / otherwise it would not have been in a jar o$ evil. 3thers believe that -eus may have relented a little, and put .ope in to help man ind through the hard times that the other :gi$ts& would bring. What does it mean to us today?

#oday, %andora&s box means a source o$ troubles. When we tal about opening %andora&s box, we use it as a metaphor to mean that we may not now what we are getting ourselves into6 Sometimes, that we do not always now how something we have started may end, that we do not now the conse!uences o$ our actions.

Pandora's Box #he mythical story o$ %andora's 0ox by )mma 7. ;irth #he 7yth o$ %andora's 0ox %rometheus had a brother named )pimetheus, who was also very wise, and, li e %rometheus, he was called the < common blessing o$ man ind.< )pimetheus did not arouse the anger o$ -eus, as his brother had done. Indeed, instead o$ binding him to a roc , -eus sent a valuable present to )pimetheus' palace. (nd what do you suppose it was? ( dear little maiden, %andora, who was to live in the palace as a $riend and helpmate $or )pimetheus.

Epimetheus and Pandora %andora came in the swan chariot o$ the lady (phrodite, and stood in the doorway to greet )pimetheus upon his return $rom the $ields. It was a happy surprise to him, $or he had grown very lonely in his grand and gloomy palace, which needed the sunshine o$ little %andora's presence. )pimetheus was very rich, but very generous* and he could but grow more gentle and ind to the little %andora, who reminded him constantly o$ the needs o$ others. 0ut we must not $orget the strange gi$t which the gods had sent with %andora. #his was a strong box which %andora desired at once to open. 0ut when )pimetheus attempted to do so, he $ound this inscription upon the lid= " PE! ! " "HE B # $!"%& "HE ' () )H*&& ) (E+,EE-" So )pimetheus carried the box into the palace, and told %andora that she could see it whenever she li ed to do so, but begged her never to try to open it. %andora promised. She o$ten $ound pleasure in sitting upon the box, tracing with her slender $ingers the delicate scrolls and !ueer designs. #he beauty o$ the box was a constant temptation to her. She o$ten dreamed about the contents, and longed to ta e just a peep. 0ut the ind $ace and warning voice o$ )pimetheus always prevented, $or somehow he always appeared just at the dangerous moment. 3ne day )pimetheus went to the $ields early in the morning* to stay until the shades o$ evening had $allen. %andora tried to $orget the box, but it seemed to call to her. #hat very morning she had $ound a curiously shaped ey, and she was tempted to try it in the loc . She would not open the box* she would only see whether the ey really did belong to it. .er hands trembled, and her breath came !uic ly* she thought she heard a $ootstep. >o* it was only the water splashing in the $ountain. With a little clic , the ey slid into the loc . It was a per$ect $it. %andora's le$t hand rested under the edge o$ the lid. She raised it gently, and peeped in. 3h"o"o"o6 Whi?6 Whir"r"r"r6 #he room was $illed with tiny, $luttering creatures, so tiny and so lovely that they might have been winged blossoms. #hev $luttered about the room, while %andora loo ed aghast, then $loated out between the great pillars, and away across the $ields. %andora had shut the lid down !uic ly a$ter a very short space, and she hoped that they had not all escaped. She leaned her pretty head against the box and sobbed bitterly, listening* between sobs $or the $ootsteps o$ )pimetheus. .ow she dreaded his return6 It seemed as i$ a whole year passed while she waited. It was so silent in the great room. (ll at once a tiny voice which seemed to come $rom the box cried, < %andora6 %andora6 open the box, and let us out.< %andora raised the lid again, and seated upon the edge o$ the box were two little beings, who said, < ;oolish little %andora6 1ou have not pri?ed the blessings which the gods sent you, else you would have guarded them more care$ully. #hey have $lown away, but we will stay with you. We are @ove and

.ope. We will help you to undo the mischie$* but it will ta e much patient e$$ort, little %andora, to bring bac the blessings to man ind.< 4ust at that moment )pimetheus returned* and as he saw at a glance what had happened, his $ace grew sad, and he said, < %andora, we have o$$ended the gods by holding their command so lightly. We must now strive to regain the blessings, $or i$ they come not to us, they will never be a gi$t to mortals.< So %andora became very patient and earnest in all that she did. 3ne by one the blessings came bac $or short periods, then $or longer ones, until %andora had grown to be a beauti$ul old woman, when all o$ the blessings were hers once more* and they did not remain in the box, but hovered around her wherever she went, bringing happiness to all who new her.