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Greek Mythology: Pandora's Box

Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology that was actually a large jar called a pithos given to Pandora. The pithos contained all the evils of the world. When Pandora opened it out of curiosity, all the evils inside escaped and spread across the earth, except for one thing - the spirit of hope called Elpis. In modern usage, "opening Pandora's box" refers to performing a small action that turns out to have severely detrimental consequences.

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274 views3 pages

Greek Mythology: Pandora's Box

Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology that was actually a large jar called a pithos given to Pandora. The pithos contained all the evils of the world. When Pandora opened it out of curiosity, all the evils inside escaped and spread across the earth, except for one thing - the spirit of hope called Elpis. In modern usage, "opening Pandora's box" refers to performing a small action that turns out to have severely detrimental consequences.

Uploaded by

Amy Myzara
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Pandora's box

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Pandora opens the pithos given to her by Zeus, thus releasing all the bad things of the world.
This article is about the mythological artifact. For other uses, see Pandora's bo
!disambiguation".
Pandora's box is an artifact in #reek mythology, taken from the myth of Pandora's creation
in $esiod's Works and Days.
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The (bo( was actually a large )ar !*+,-. pithos"
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given to
Pandora !0123451, (all6gifted(, (all6giving(",
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which contained all the evils of the world.
Today the phrase (to open Pandora's bo( means to perform an action that may seem small or
innocent, but that turns out to have severely detrimental and far6reaching conse8uences.
The similarities of the story to the forbidden fruit in the story of 9dam and :ve were
identified by early ;hristians such as Tertullian, <rigen and #regory of =a>ian>us.
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Contents
& @n mythology
/ :tymology of the (bo(
7 Aee also
? =otes
B Ceferences
In mythology
9 pithos from ;rete, c. DEB F;. Gouvre
Hain articleI Pandora
@n classical #reek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on :arth. Zeus ordered
$ephaestus to create her. Ao he did, using water and earth.
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The gods endowed her with
many giftsI 9thena clothed her, 9phrodite gave her beauty, 9pollo gave her musical ability,
and $ermes gave her speech.
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When Prometheus stole fire from heaven, Zeus took vengeance by presenting Pandora to
Prometheus' brother :pimetheus. Pandora was given a wedding gift of a beautiful )ar, with
instructions to not open it under any circumstance. @mpelled by her curiosity !given to her by
the gods", Pandora opened it and all evil contained therein escaped and spread over the earth.
Ahe hastened to close the container, but the whole contents had escaped, ecept for one thing
that lay at the bottom J the Apirit of $ope, named :lpis.
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Pandora, deeply saddened by what
she had done, feared she would have to face Zeus' wrath, since she had failed her duty.
$owever, Zeus did not punish Pandora because he knew this would happen.
Etymology of the "box"
9n 9ttic pyxis, ??KJ?7K F;. Fritish Huseum
Cosetti's Pandora !&LEM"
The original #reek word was 'pithos', which is a large )ar, sometimes as large as a small
person !Niogenes of Ainope was said to have once slept in one". @t was used for storage of
wine, oil, grain or other provisions, or, ritually, as a container for a human body for burying.
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@n the case of Pandora, this )ar may have been made of clay for use as storage as in the
usual sense, or of bron>e metal as an unbreakable prison.
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The mistranslation of pithos is usually attributed to the &Dth century humanist :rasmus of
Cotterdam who translated $esiod's tale of Pandora into Gatin. :rasmus rendered pithos as the
#reek pyxis, meaning (bo(.
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The phrase (Pandora's bo( has endured ever since. This
misconception was further reinforced by Nante #abriel Cossetti's painting Pandora.
%citation
needed'

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