Pandora’s Jar
The original story of Pandora’s Box didn’t have a box at all, and rather a jar. Translations of the story by Renaissance humanist Erasmus confused the jar with a box from Cupid and Psyche’s myth. In response to Prometheus gifting humans with fire, an enraged Zeus ordered the crafting of a most beautiful human woman: Pandora. She was sent to Prometheus who was wary of her, as he was already facing punishment from Zeus, and she ended up marrying his brother Epimetheus instead. Despite Prometheus’s warning to Epimetheus to reject any gifts from Zeus, as it was likely an evil gift to humans, he forgot and accepted a gift from a messenger. A jar was left in Pandora’s care and she was instructed not to open it, however, curiosity got the best of her and she did; as the jar was opened, evils like sickness and death were immediately released, so Pandora quickly sealed the jar again. The only thing remaining within was hope. In this original story, hope is not released to the world, and it calls for question about that hope, referred to as elpis in the text. Some say this means that elpis is actually expectation, an awareness of just how bad things can get. In this interpretation of the text, humans should be thankful Pandora trapped it in the jar so we are never fully aware of the predicament we are in with the evils of the world.
Sources:
https://diotima-doctafemina.org/translations/greek/pandora-hesiod-works-and-days-53-105/
