The story of Pandora’s Box is one that has been around for thousands of years. Originating in Greek mythology, it is a story that is still retold today, and at the very least most people will have heard of the phrase “Pandora’s Box”.

The story tells of how all of the world’s evils were brought into existence, but is a story that reminds everyone of the importance of Hope.

The story of Pandora’s Box starts in the early days of the rule of Zeus and the other Olympian gods. The Olympians coming to power after their success in the Titanomachy. Zeus gave two Titans, Prometheus and Epimetheus,the job of creating life forms to inhabit the earth.

This task the two brothers completed through the use of clay. Epimetheus named all of the creatures and gave them individual characteristics. He ran out of attributes though by the time he came to mankind. To solve the problem Prometheus went amongst the gods and stole characteristics which he gave to man. He also stole the gift of fire from the workshop of Hephaestus, the blacksmith to the gods. Thus mankind was able to thrive and celebrate a carefree lifestyle.

The acts of Prometheus, added to previous misdemeanours, and angered Zeus, and so the supreme god sought out his own form of retribution.

This retribution was not straightforward, and began with Hephaestus creating the first woman out of metal. Zeus then breathed life into her, and the other gods gave her other gifts. Some of the gifts are thought of as being good, with the likes of beauty being given by Aphrodite; persuasiveness by Hermes; as well as intelligence and grace.

There were though other gifts that are considered less positive, with Hermes also giving the gifts of cunning and the ability to lie, and Hera provided curiosity.

The provision of these gifts resulted in the name of Pandora, being given to the first woman, Pandora meaning “all-gifted”.

Once perfected, Pandora was then given to Epimetheus to be his wife. Epimetheus, had already been warned by Prometheus about accepting gifts from the gods, but still willingly received Pandora.

This is where the term Pandora’s Box commences, and within the household of Epimetheus was a large jar that contained all of the characteristics that Epimetheus had not found a suitable host for when he had been moulding man and beast. Other sources do say that the jar was a wedding gift from Zeus, but no matter where the jar had come from, Pandora was explicitly warned by Zeus, that to remain happily married she was never to look into the jar.

The marriage was a happy one but the curiosity that Hera had instilled in Pandora was slowly taking over.

Eventually Pandora could not resist the temptation that was overcoming her, and so she released the jar’s lid. At once all of the evil and bad characteristics instilled in it escaped. This meant sickness, suffering, diseases, war, hard labour, jealousy, greed and hatred escaped to make their way into the world. Pandora tried desperately to close the lid of the jar, but by that time there was only one thing left in it, and that was Hope.

With evil in the world, the easy life of mankind was over, and life was now a struggle where there was hard work involved just to survive.

The actions of Pandora, as well as releasing evil into the world, also ultimately caused the destruction of mankind. Some tales tell of how mankind became so evil, and so repulsive to the eye of Zeus, that he sent a flood to wipe out the whole human population.

For nine days and nine nights the rain fell and the world was flooded. Zeus though had not totally given up on the world, and gave the task for replenishing the world to Pandora’s daughter, Pyrrha, and her cousin, Deucalion, the son of Prometheus. Pyrrha and Deucalion built an ark to save themselves and the animals, and after the floods had subsided repopulated the world by throwing stones from which man and women were born.

The story of Pandora’s Box may be a story of despair and the release of evil, but it is a story which shows that no matter what the situation, there is always hope left.