Greek mythology
07. Pandora’s Box
In the realm of the gods, Zeus, the king of the gods, was furious with humanity. Prometheus, a Titan, had defied Zeus by stealing fire from the heavens and giving it to mankind. This act of rebellion empowered humans and angered Zeus greatly. He punished Prometheus for stealing fire by chaining him to a rock where an eagle would eat his liver every day. And He also decided to punish the humans created by Prometheus for receiving the gift of fire.
He called upon Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths and craftsmen, to forge a special box. This box was to be beautiful yet dangerous, capable of holding all the evils of the world. Hephaestus, the god of fire and craftsmanship, with his unmatched skill, crafted a box of exquisite beauty. It was adorned with intricate designs and gleamed with an otherworldly light. However, its true purpose was far more sinister. Zeus filled the box with all the evils and miseries that could plague humanity: disease, sorrow, death, and more.
To ensure that the box would serve its purpose, Zeus needed a way to deliver it to humanity. He decided to create a woman, one who would be irresistible to men and capable of carrying out his plan. He ordered the gods of Olympus to create a being of unparalleled beauty and charm that would bring about the downfall of mankind. Hephaestus once again took up his tools and fashioned a woman from clay. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, gave her the skill of weaving and a loincloth. Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, gave her charm, painful longing, and limb-loss. Hermes gave her curiosity and the gift of persuasive speech. Caritas and Phaeto gave golden trinkets, and Horai gave a wreath of spring flowers. Zeus named her Pandora, which means “all-gifted” or “all-endowed” because she received gifts from all the gods. Finally, He himself gave Pandora a sealed box, warning her never to open it under any circumstances.
Pandora, curious by nature, was intrigued by the box. She wondered what secrets it held and why it was forbidden to open it. Despite Zeus’s warning, the allure of the box was too strong to resist.
Meanwhile, after Prometheus gave fire to humans but before he was punished by Zeus, he knew that Zeus would not let this act of rebellion go unpunished. He foresaw that Zeus would devise a cunning plan to exact revenge not only on him but also on the humans he had sought to protect. Prometheus called his brother Epimetheus to a secluded spot on Mount Olympus. Epimetheus, whose name means “afterthought,” was known for his impulsive and often reckless nature, in stark contrast to Prometheus’s careful and deliberate demeanor.
Prometheus urgently told Epimetheus that Zeus would soon impose a great punishment on both humans and himself. He warned sternly that Zeus would use Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus, in this punishment, and therefore, he should not accept any gifts from Zeus. No matter how tempting, he added, it would be a trap designed to bring about the downfall of humanity.
Epimetheus nodded, but Prometheus could see the doubt in his eyes. He knew his brother’s impulsive nature might lead him to ignore this warning.
With Pandora ready, Zeus sent her down to Earth to meet Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother. She was stunningly beautiful, with a charm that was impossible to resist. Despite Prometheus’s warnings to be wary of gifts from Zeus, Epimetheus was captivated by Pandora’s beauty and charm. He accepted her as his wife, and they lived together happily for a time.
However, Pandora’s curiosity about the jar grew stronger each day. One day, Pandora stood in her home, the box given by Zeus resting on a table in front of her. The box was beautifully crafted, adorned with intricate designs and shimmering in the light. Pandora’s curiosity grew stronger each day as she wondered what secrets the box held. She remembered Zeus’s warning never to open it, but the temptation was overwhelming.
One quiet afternoon, unable to resist any longer, Pandora decided to take a closer look at the box. Her hands trembled as she reached out and touched the lid, feeling the cool surface beneath her fingers. She hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest. Taking a deep breath, Pandora slowly lifted the lid, her eyes widening in anticipation.
As the lid opened, a dark, swirling mist began to escape from the box. Pandora gasped, realizing too late the gravity of her actions. The mist transformed into various forms of suffering. As Pandora watched in horror, the dark mist began to take shape, swirling and coalescing into distinct forms.
The first form to emerge was Disease, a ghastly figure with a pale, sickly complexion and hollow eyes. It moved with a slow, creeping motion, spreading an invisible miasma that tainted the air. Pandora could feel the air grow heavy and foul, as if the very essence of life was being drained away.
Next came Despair, a shadowy figure that seemed to absorb all the light around it, casting a deep gloom. Its presence was suffocating, filling Pandora’s heart with a crushing sense of hopelessness. Despair whispered hauntingly, its voice a chilling echo that promised endless suffering.
Finally, Sorrow emerged, a figure cloaked in tattered robes, weeping tears of blood. Its cries were heart-wrenching, a mournful wail that resonated with the deepest grief.
Sorrow reached out with skeletal hands, touching everything with a cold, numbing touch. Pandora felt an overwhelming wave of sadness wash over her, as if all joy had been stripped away. The room was filled with these manifestations of suffering, each one more terrifying than the last. Pandora’s heart raced as she realized the enormity of what she had unleashed upon the world. She tried to close the box, but her hands were shaking too much to grip the lid properly. In her desperation, she cried out for help, but there was no one to hear her pleas. The evils continued to pour out, spreading beyond her home and into the world outside.
Pandora fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she watched the devastation unfold. Just when she thought all was lost, she noticed a faint glow remaining in the box. With a final, desperate effort, she reached inside and found Hope, a small but radiant light. Hope’s presence brought a sense of calm and reassurance, even amidst the chaos. Pandora held onto Hope tightly, knowing it was the only thing that could help humanity endure. Pandora’s actions had changed the world forever, but hope provided a way to cope with the new reality.
Ps. Because Greco-Roman mythology contains many versions of the same story of the same character, the story you see in Roy's Box may not be the story you know. In Roy's Box, we list the full episodes in chronological order, and where possible, we've adapted non-contradictory versions.