Pandora's Box
An artifact in Greek mythology where an object that is originally seen as a gift turns out to in fact be a curse. The only thing remaining at the bottom of Pandora's Box is 'Hope.'
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Origin
From Hesiod’s Works and Days (c. 700 BCE). Zeus gave Pandora a jar (mistranslated as “box” by Erasmus in the 16th century) as a gift to humanity. When she opened it, all evils escaped into the world — sickness, death, suffering. Only Hope (Elpis) remained trapped inside, making the story both a warning about curiosity and an origin myth for human resilience.
Updated February 22, 2026