In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek: Πανδώρα, derived from πᾶν, pān, i.e. "all" and δῶρον, dōron, i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving")[1] was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus.[2][3] As Hesiod related it, each god cooperated by giving her unique gifts. Her other name—inscribed against her figure on a white-ground kylix in the British Museum[4]—is Anesidora (Ancient Greek: Ἀνησιδώρα), "she who sends up gifts"[5] (up implying "from below" within the earth).
The Pandora myth is a kind of theodicy, addressing the question of why there is evil in the world, according to which, Pandora opened a jar (pithos; commonly referred to as "Pandora's box") releasing all the evils of humanity. It has been argued that Hesiod's interpretation of Pandora's story went on to influence both Jewish and Christian theology and so perpetuated her bad reputation into the Renaissance. Later poets, dramatists, painters and sculptors made her their subject.
- ^ πᾶν, δῶρον. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project; Evelyn-White, note to Hesiod, Works and Days Schlegel and Weinfield, "Introduction to Hesiod" p. 6; Meagher, p. 148; Samuel Tobias Lachs, "The Pandora-Eve Motif in Rabbinic Literature", The Harvard Theological Review, Vol. 67, No. 3 (July 1974), pp. 341–345. JSTOR 1509228.
- ^ "Scatter-brained [of Zeus the woman, the maiden whom he had formed." (Hesiod, Theogony 510 ff. (Hugh G. White, translator)
- ^ Grimal, Pierre (1990). "Pandora". In Kershaw, Stephen (ed.). A concise dictionary of Classical Mythology. A. R. Maxwell-Hyslop (translator). Oxford: Basil Blackwell Ltd. ISBN 0-631-16696-3.
- ^ B.M. 1881,0528.1: white-ground cup from Nola, painted by the Tarquinia painter, c. 470–460 BC (British Museum on-line catalogue entry)
- ^ Harrison, Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion 3rd ed., 1922:281. If Anesidora/Pandora were already "all-gifted", this would be an instance of mythic inversion.