Pandora :: essays research papers

In Greek mythology Pandora was the first woman, bestowed upon humankind by Zeus as a punishment for Prometheus' theft of fire. Entrusted with a box containing all the ills that could plague people, she opened it out of curiosity and thereby released all the evils of human life; wife of Epimetheus. Zeus ordered Hephaestus to make a mixture of earth and water and from it to create a woman as beautiful as a goddess. When she was ready, Athena adorned her and taught her how to weave, while Aphrodite endowed her with grace and passion, the Graces and Peitho garlanded her with gold ribbons and the Hours decorated her with spring flowers. Hermes, on the other hand, put malicious and lying words into her heart. Zeus called her Pandora, because she had received gifts (dora) from all the gods, and sent her off to Epimetheus. Bewitched by her beauty, he fell in love with her and took her out for mankind to see. Pandora's fate was to be the cause of all human misfortune, because she opened the lid of a jar from which evils of all kinds immediately spilled out to fill the world. Only hope was left in the jar, because Pandora closed the lid again at the last moment. As a result, mankind - who until that time had known no pain, sickness or death - was doomed to everlasting unhappiness.Pandora (mythological figure), in Greek mythology, first woman on earth, created by the god Hephaestus at the request of the god Zeus. Zeus wished to counteract the blessing of fire, which had been stolen from the gods by the Titan Prometheus and given to human beings. Endowed by the gods with every attribute of beauty and goodness, Pandora was sent to Epimetheus, who was happy to have her for his wife, although he had been warned by his brother Prometheus never to accept anything fr om Zeus. In bestowing their gifts on Pandora, the gods had given her a box, warning her never to open it.