BOX, EVIL, WOMAN: PANDORA

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15 Jan 2024

Box, Evil, Woman: Pandora

Greetings to everyone. This month's mythology file is dedicated to Pandora. When we hear the name Pandora, something comes to mind for all of us. So, who is Pandora in reality? What is her story, and how has it evolved over time? Why is she famous for her box? Does the box really exist? We have prepared an article for those curious about the answers to these questions. We hope you enjoy reading.

Who is Pandora?

Pandora is a character in Greek mythology. In the most well-known version of her story, she is sent to the world by Zeus to punish humanity. When Pandora is created, all the Olympian Gods give her gifts. Some teach her how to weave, while others grant her sharp intelligence. Finally, Pandora is given a box and strictly warned never to open it. However, succumbing to her curiosity, Pandora living in the world eventually opens the box, releasing all the evils. When Pandora manages to close the box, the only thing left inside is hope.

However, this version is a simplified and somewhat distorted form of the original story. Although it seems like Pandora is solely to blame, the events are not that straightforward. Pandora first appears in the texts of Hesiod, believed to have lived between 750-650 BC. Hesiod briefly mentions Pandora in "Theogony," where he discusses the origins of the gods. At that time, Pandora doesn't even have a name. In his later work, "Works and Days," Hesiod adds depth to Pandora's character.

Prometheus and Pandora

To understand Pandora in Hesiod's works, we need to know the story of Prometheus. Prometheus is one of the Titans in Greek mythology. Despite being a Titan, Prometheus earns Zeus's favor and starts living on Mount Olympus. However, secretly resenting Zeus and the other gods, Prometheus creates the first human with his own hands. Later, feeling sorry for the weaknesses of humans, he steals fire from the gods and gifts it to humanity, enabling their progress.

Zeus becomes furious with this act. He chains Prometheus to the Caucasus Mountains, where an eagle daily feasts on his regenerating liver. Yet, this punishment doesn't satisfy Zeus, who is displeased with humanity's progress. Therefore, he plans a second punishment that will affect both Prometheus and all of humanity. Here, Pandora comes into play. In the version of "Theogony," Zeus orders the creation of a woman as a counterpart to humanity, which had been entirely male until then. This beautiful woman, filled with evils, is then given as a gift to humanity. Thus, evil spreads among humanity.

The Creation of Pandora

Charles Edward Perugini's "Pandora's Box" painting
To understand Pandora in Hesiod's "Works and Days," the story of Prometheus must be considered. In this version, Pandora is named and receives gifts from all the Olympian Gods after her creation. Pandora is then given as a gift to Epimetheus, who gladly accepts her as his wife despite his brother Prometheus's warnings not to accept gifts from Zeus. However, Pandora comes with a box containing all the evils. (Whether this is an actual box or something else will be discussed shortly.)

Things start to get complicated at this point. In Hesiod's version, it is only mentioned that the box is opened, and all the evils are released into the world. In later versions, Pandora opens the box the day after her wedding due to a whisper from Zeus. In another version, Zeus gives the box as a wedding gift, strictly warning not to open it. However, over the years, Pandora succumbs to her curiosity and opens the box.

Considering the lack of information in the original version, could something completely different have happened? After all, Hesiod never said that Pandora opened the box(?). What could have happened?

Pandora's Box or Jar?

The widely known phrase "Pandora's Box" comes from the translation by Erasmus in the 16th century. While translating Hesiod's works from Ancient Greek to Latin, Erasmus made a change in the text: the original word "pithos" means "jar," but Erasmus translated it as "box," using the Latin equivalent of "pyxis." When translating into different languages, Erasmus's Latin version became the basis, and Pandora has been associated with a box ever since.
Is this change a significant problem? The answer is yes. The original term "pithos" refers to a narrow-necked container that widens towards the bottom. Besides the risk of tipping over at any moment, it is quite fragile. As a result, the probability of a box accidentally opening is very low. However, a jar tipping over and breaking spontaneously or due to a mistake is quite likely. Thus, Pandora may not be at fault for the spread of evil in the world.

Is Pandora Guilty? Or a Victim?

Even if Pandora opened the box with her own hands or broke the jar, is she guilty? After all, Pandora was created to punish humanity in all versions. In "Theogony," there was no box/jar. The gods filled Pandora with evils and gave her to humanity. In this version, Pandora is not even considered guilty.

The versions that cause debates involve the box/jar. Whether opening the box or breaking the jar, it is always Pandora. So, is she the one spreading evil? Pandora was created as a "punishment" in these versions as well. Could she have surpassed the reason for her creation? Weren't the gods the ones who gave her the sense of curiosity? And what about giving her the box/jar filled with all the evils? Does Pandora really have any fault?
Representation of Pandora in Art

When examining depictions of Pandora, she is often portrayed with her box/jar. The choices usually focus on the moment when Pandora opens the box/jar or the chaos that follows. Therefore, the perception that Pandora is guilty is supported by these paintings.
However, when we look at the depictions of Pandora by the Ancient Greeks, we encounter very different scenes. Firstly, Pandora is not depicted with the box/jar in these works. Because, for the Ancient Greeks, the jar was not that important. The parts they chose to focus on were the gods giving gifts to Pandora or creating her. This shows that they were well aware of who was really to blame. In the end, it was the gods who created Pandora filled with evils and gave her the sense of curiosity.

Thank you for reading.

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