Pandora

In Greek mythology, the first mortal woman. Zeus sent her to Earth with a box containing every human woe to counteract the blessings brought to mortals by Prometheus, whose gift of fire was stolen from the gods. In the most common tradition, she opened the box, and the evils flew out; only hope was left inside as a consolation.

Pandora was fashioned by Hephaestus, god of the forge, and endowed with beauty by Aphrodite. Hermes, messenger of the gods, gave Pandora boldness and cunning before taking her to Epimetheus, who made her his wife forgetting the counsel of his brother Prometheus to accept no gift from the gods.

According to the poet Hesiod's ‘Works and Days’, Epimetheus opened the box of evils Pandora brought to Earth. In a later tradition the box contained every blessing which would have belonged to the human race if Pandora had not raised the lid.