Pandora (All-giving) Greek The first woman to appear on Earth, according to Greek mythology.

Pandora (All-giving) Greek The first woman to appear on Earth, according to Greek mythology. The gods created her and sent her down to release upon the world all the misfortunes that could occur. At the command of the great god Zeus, the smith-god Hephaestus crafted her out of clay and the other gods and goddesses breathed into her surpassing beauty, charm, graciousness, and cunning. They also gave her a vase to take with her to Earth and told her never to open it. Prometheus (Forethought) resisted the beauty of Pandora, but his brother, Epimetheus (Afterthought) at once took the beautiful creature to be his bride. After the wedding, Pandora opened the sacred vase, sometimes called Pandora's Box, and released upon the world all the ailments that it contained. Only Hope remained inside the vase, and it was Hope who enabled humankind to go on living despite all adversity. Some legends say that Zeus released Pandora upon the Earth because he was angry with Prometheus, champion of humankind. Pandora was to be humankind's punishment for having learned the use of fire from Prometheus. "Pandora's Box" has come to mean a gift or opportunity that at first seems valuable but turns out to be a source of troubles.