Pandora

• Πανδώρα, gifted by all, the first woman, made by Vulcan at Jupiter's command, and presented with gifts by all the gods, the wife of Epimetheus and mother of Pyrrha, Hyg. Fab. 142.—Prov.: Pandora Hesiodi, of a work executed by several hands, Tert. adv. Val. 12.

(Πανδώρα), i. e. the giver of all, or endowed with every thing, is the name of the first woman on earth. When Prometheus had stolen the fire from heaven, Zeus in revenge caused Hephaestus to make a woman out of earth, who by her charms and beauty should bring misery upon the human race (Hes. Th. 571, &c.; Stob. Serin. 1). Aphrodite adorned her with beauty, Hermes gave her boldness and cunning, and the gods called her Pandora, as each of the Olympians had given her some power by which she was to work the ruin of man. Hermes took her to Epimetheus, who forgot the advice of his brother Prometheus, not to accept any gift from Zeus, and from that moment all miseries came down upon men (Hes. Op. et Dies, 50, &c.). According to some mythographers, Epimetheus became by her the father of Pyrrha and Deucalion (Hygin. Fub. 142; Apollod. 1.7.2 ; Procl. ad Hes. Op. p. 30, ed. Heinsius; Ov. Met. 1.350); others make Pandora a daughter of Pyrrha and Deucalion (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 23). Later writers speak of a vessel of Pandora, containing all the blessings of the gods, which would have been preserved for the human race, had not Pandora opened the vessel, so that the winged blessings escaped irrecoverably. The birth of Pandora was represented on the pedestal of the statue of Athena, in the Parthenon at Athens (Paus. 1.24.7). In the Orphic poems Pandora occurs as an infernal awful divinity, and is associated with Hecate and the Erinnyes (Orph. Argon. 974). Pandora also occurs as a surname of Gaea (Earth), as the giver of all. (Schol. ad Aristoph. Av. 970; Philostr. Vit. Apoll. 6.39; Hesych. s.v.) [L.S]

(Πανδώρα). The Greek Eve; the first woman on earth. After Prometheus (q.v.) had stolen the heavenly fire, Zeus in revenge caused Hephaestus to make a woman of exquisite beauty who should bring sorrow upon the human race. From her perfection of loveliness and intellect she was called Pandora, “the All-gifted.” She became the wife of Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus, though Epimetheus had been advised to accept nothing that came from Zeus. In the house of Epimetheus stood a closed box or jar containing all the evils possible for man; and this box Pandora out of curiosity opened. The evils poured out when the lid was raised, and though she closed it hastily, she only succeeded in preventing the escape of Hope, which was also in the box (Hesiod. Theog. 571; Op. 50). In later times the story was differently told. The box was then said to contain blessings which were thus secured to the human race; but by opening it, Pandora lost them all except Hope (Hyg. Fab. 142).

• Paus. 1.24.7, Apollod. 1.7.1
• wife of Epimetheus, mother of Pyrrha: Apollod. 1.7.1